


The Lessons They Don't Teach You

by staycoolstaykind



Series: NCT omegaverse [2]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha!Yukhei, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - College/University, Beta!Mark, Crushes, Falling In Love, Family Issues, M/M, i know what i'm about, little to no angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-09-07 05:43:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20304400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staycoolstaykind/pseuds/staycoolstaykind
Summary: Yukhei has grown up with a very strict understanding of how the world works. Alphas and omegas belong together, it's the lesson he's been taught again and again, drilled into him by his parents from a very young age. So what is he supposed to do with Mark Lee?





	1. Chapter 1

Yukhei is cultivating a long list of dead people who can go fuck themselves. At the top of said list is William Shakespeare, followed closely by Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway. Every now and then he debates adding Emily Dickinson and Charlotte Bronte to the list, but it feels a little rude to add women and he feels guilty even thinking about it. Still. He can’t say he’s fond of them, either.

It’s almost two in the afternoon and the library is surprisingly slow. Mondays are usually a popular day for people to stop by and hog a table, trying to get a head start on their work for the week or scramble to complete the assignments they were supposed to finish over the weekend. Especially here on the first floor, where no one is expected to be particularly quiet and the Starbucks by the entrance draws in a constant crowd. Today it's like everyone just up and disappeared, like maybe there was an apocalypse or something that Yukhei missed out on and he's the only person left in the entire world.

He sighs, glances at his watch. Five minutes to go.

Tutoring was absolutely not Yukhei's idea. He's always been the type of person to keep his problems to himself, to deny he's having any sort of trouble until it's too late and he has to come up with a plan B to fix things. Unfortunately, with his spot on the basketball team on the line, he can't really risk it. 

"You need to swallow your damn pride and get a tutor," Jungwoo had said, hands on his hips, eyebrows raised and eyes wide. It was the look he always got when he was chastising Yukhei, which was… often. In their long friendship the omega had become quite comfortable with putting Yukhei in his place, perfectly willing to point out when he was being an idiot. "You're going to lose your scholarship, and then what? All because you're afraid of asking for a little help?"

Yukhei had sighed, had dragged his feet, but in the end was forced to relent. He couldn't afford losing his spot, not if he wanted to graduate without having to ask his parents for any more money. So he'd gone through his advisor, gotten the number of one of the tutors that worked through the library, and made the call.

And now here he is, waiting for… Mark Lee, or whatever the hell is name is.

Stacked in front of him on the table are a few of his graded papers, all marked up with harsh looking red ink and scribbled on with short notes like "needs clarification" and "too informal." Next to those is a fairly new copy of _Oedipus Rex_, marked up with basic blue ink and scribbled on with notes that say things like "what the fuck?" and "HIS MOM?" The latter is Yukhei's own doing, and while his notations aren't exactly worthy of publishing, they contain his true feelings on the matter.

Maybe his mom was right. Maybe alphas aren't meant for scholarly pursuits. Maybe he's better off just dropping out and being a trust fund kid, like they've suggested time and time again.

"Excuse me… Yukhei?"

Yukhei is immediately pulled out of his sullen contemplation by a voice to his left. He turns, eyebrows raised as he gets his first ever glimpse of Mark Lee.

_He's small_ is the first thought his subconscious brain provides. Small and slim and a little nerdy looking, with tousled black hair sticking up in every direction and big round glasses that sit on the bridge of his nose. If Yukhei were casting for Harry Potter remake he would have his star right here. Mark looks casual enough in black jeans and a bright yellow hoodie, though not quite as casual as the students surrounding them that have come to study in their pajamas.

Yukhei stands, offering his hand and a wide grin. No matter how wary he is of this tutoring thing he’s still Wong Yukhei. "Mark?"

"Yeah, nice to meet you," Mark says, taking his hand and shaking it firmly. His hands are just as small as the rest of him, though his grip is strong. "I brought you a coffee, I didn't know what you drink so it's just black. There's cream and sugar and stuff like that in my bag," he says, pulling out a chair and flopping down. "Literary Theory, right?"

Yukhei, delighted at the promise of caffeine, nods and returns to his seat. "Thanks man. And yeah, English Theory. It's kicking my ass. Like…I _like_ reading. I just finished House of Leaves and it blew my god damn mind. I just…sort of take it for what it is, you know? The story is the story, I'm no good at picking it apart."

Mark nods, listening attentively as Yukhei speaks. There's no judgement in his eyes, just a simple understanding that immediately makes Yukhei feel better about having to be here. "I get it. It's the difference between reading for entertainment and reading to write a paper. There's nothing wrong with reading just because you like to, that's really great." He takes a sip from his own drink, some icy thing covered in whipped cream and caramel drizzle. "I don't really get why they force everyone to take theory as a gen ed. A general lit class is one thing, but Theory is like…pretty specialized."

Yeah, Yukhei already likes this guy. He seems to get it. "Right? Like...please don't make me hate reading," he sighs. "Do you…tutor a lot of people for this stuff?"

"Ho yeah," Mark says with a small laugh. "Like I said, it's weird that they make everyone take it in the first place. A lot of people struggle writing academic papers, we're not really trained to do it properly before we get to uni."

A girl at a table nearby, scrolling through her phone while she sips on her coffee, bursts into sudden laughter. Yukhei glances over at the distraction, sighing. "Yeah, I guess." He turns back to Mark, biting his lip. "I… brought some of my graded papers, like you asked. Fair warning, they're not very good."

Mark takes another sip of his drink, eyes serious behind his glasses as he studies Yukhei. Once he's swallowed he puts his cup aside, leaning forward with his elbows on the table. "Hey, do you know that I can't do basic algebra?"

"What?" Yukhei doesn't exactly get where this is coming from, eyebrows raised. "Math?"

"Yeah," Mark says with a grin. "I failed it in high school. And I was trying, man. It wasn't like I was slacking off, not turning in my homework or sleeping through class. I would go home every night and spend hours trying to figure it out, my dad would come in and I'd be like…full on crying over my math textbook."

Yukhei frowns, not loving the idea of this plucky little kid so miserable over something as simple as algebra. "So what happened? Did you get help and overcome it or something?"

"Oh god no," Mark says, laughing. "I almost failed it in uni, too. I barely scraped by with a passing grade." He shrugs, grinning. "Point is, we all have our things. I'm pretty good with bullshitting my way through a paper on _The Odyssey_ and somehow convincing my professor that I have a deep, profound understanding of the classics. But if you ask me what a parabola is I'll literally get so frustrated that I'll walk away."

He leans back, eyes bright. "Everybody struggles with something. So get over the idea that you're stupid because you need some help with writing papers. I promise, it'll make life so much easier for you."

There's a long few seconds of silence as his little speech settles over Yukhei. He hadn't really…considered any of that. He's been so worried about his scholarship and staying above the gradeline that he hadn't considered how his own self worth played into all of it. With a small smile Yukhei nods, deciding he really, really likes this Mark dude.

"Yeah," he agrees, sitting up a bit straighter. "Yeah, you're right. Man, I've been letting this eat me alive, I've felt so fucking dumb."

"You're not dumb," Mark says, waving his hand to brush away the idea. He reaches across the table, pulling the stack of essays closer. "Papers just aren't you thing. Now give me a second to read these, let me see what we're working with."

Yukhei commits to a few minutes of silence and trying desperately to sit still, something he's not exactly great at. As Mark settles in to read all he can do is sip his coffee and wait. Still, the waiting gives him time to examine his new tutor a little bit closer.

He's already got a good feeling that he and Mark could totally be buds. They're already vibing, communicating on a wavelength Yukhei knows how to ride. The guy is chill. Serene, but not in that weird, unreadable way. And more than anything he doesn't shrink down and hedge his words when talking to Yukhei, something that's been happening to him since he presented as an alpha at thirteen. Something that he's been told _ought to_ happen, no matter how stunted and stilted it can make conversations with other people. He'd worried that he might end up with an omega tutor who wouldn't be able to teach him, that would be too busy trying to say all the right things and please him for this to actually work. But Mark…Mark doesn't seem to care that he's an alpha, which is sort of weird and sort of wonderful all at once.

The more Yukhei considers it, the more he realizes that he…sort of can't tell what Mark's designation is. He's got the confidence of an alpha. He wasn't afraid to walk right up and offer his hand, take his place at the table and jump right into it. Physically, though, he's got all the markings of an omega. Short. Small hands. Big doe eyes that are racing over Yukhei's writing, full of curiosity. The only thing he doesn't have is the smell.

Yukhei starts, realizing Mark doesn't have _any_ smell.

He knows that scent blockers and suppressants are a thing, but he's never met anyone who actually uses them. In his family they're taboo, he's been raised to wear his status with pride. Still, even with blockers you can usually grab…something off of people. Especially with a nose like his. He can figure anyone out from fifteen meters away.

He's pulled from his thoughts by Mark setting a paper down, murmuring a soft "wow" as he does. "That bad?" Yukhei asks, stomach sinking. This is the part where Mark figures out what an idiot he is, and he really, really doesn't want Mark to think he's an idiot. He can't quite place why, but Yukhei has a really strong feeling that they ought to be friends. "Shit, it's that bad."

Mark looks up, eyes wide. "What? No no no, not at all. I just read the bit you wrote about EM Forster and how his homosexuality and relationship with his mother effected his relationship with women in his stories."

Yukhei stares, blinking. "That's…that's good?"

"Yukhei, that's really good," Mark insists. "Now I want to go re-read the novel and see what I can pick up on, you made a great point."

Never in his entire academic career has Yukhei ever been told he's made a good point. He sits a bit taller, smiles a bit wider, bites his lip. "That's…cool. Thanks, man. So what exactly is it that I'm not doing right, then?"

Mark tilts his head back and forth as he considers the question. "It's…not so much about not doing it right," he says slowly. "You're just not doing it the way your prof wants you to." He sighs, shaking his head. "That's the weird thing about theory. Some professors want you to use your own voice, some want you to use theirs. It's sort of a minefield."

"So…I'm failing because I don't sound like an old dude with a PhD?" Yukhei groans, letting his head fall forward onto the table with a loud thunk. He's not exactly sure how he'll be able to fake that, he might as well give up now.

"Stop being dramatic," Mark says, enough teasing in his voice that it helps to convince Yukhei that not all is lost. "We're not going to go from zero to a published work over night, we're just going to get rid of some of the places where you use 'dude' or 'it's fucked up.'" He reaches forward to grab Yukhei's copy of _Oedipus Rex_. "Ooh, this is a fun one."

Yukhei scoffs in disbelief. "Fun? He's going to fuck his mom!"

Multiple heads snap in their direction at Yukhei's outburst. He blushes, folding his arms and sinking into his seat.

"Yeah, it's fun because it's so messed up," Mark laughs. "How many times do you want to read the same story about some white kid coming of age, getting the girl and talking way too much about how nobody in his small town understands him?"

"Not even once," Yukhei admits.

Mark grins. "Exactly. The weird ones are a blessing because the stories aren't boring."

He's not wrong. It's always a lot more fun to read things like _Dracula_ and _Frankenstein_ than _Catcher in the Rye_. He loves the atmosphere, the big sweeping castles and dramatic settings that give the story a sense of foreboding. He doesn't want to read about some dude being depressed. Everybody's depressed these days.

"So what's your next paper supposed to be?"

Yukhei lifts his hand, running his fingers through his hair. "American Pragmatism. Which…doesn't seem like a very exciting approach to anything."

Mark though, Mark lights up like he's just been given some sort of beautiful gift. "Dude, that's perfect for _Oedipus Rex_! The story is all about him ignoring the words of the soothe sayer and stumbling right into the future that was predicted for him. Pragmatism is about learning through doing, right? The lesson that comes with the experience. He had to learn by fucking up, because he wouldn't trust the intuition of a seer."

"That's…that makes total sense," Yukhei says slowly, because it does. "Holy shit, that makes sense!"

"See?" Mark exclaims, grin wide. "Man you totally got this! Just…play pretend while you write your paper. Put on a pair of fake glasses and a blazer and act like some smarmy scholar while you talk about it, and try to avoid saying 'if he'd just hooked up with someone else he'd be fine.' You've totally got this, man."

Yukhei sort of does feel like he's totally got this. He beams, sipping on the coffee that he’d forgotten Mark had brought him. “Honestly? I was dreading coming for tutoring, but I’m already feeling one-hundred-percent better.”

“Then I’ve done my job,” Mark laughs, checking his watch. “We’ve got about five minutes left for today, is there anything else you want to ask me before I have to run for my class?”

A thousand questions race through Yukhei’s mind. What’s your major? Do you play video games? How do you feel about horror movies? He feels like these next five minutes are his chance to get to know the person who Yukhei has pretty much already decided is his new best friend. Instead he smiles and shakes his head, sliding his coffee cup back and forth on the desk. “Nah man, I’m good.”

“Awesome.” Mark stands, grabbing his bag and tossing it over his shoulder. “Why don’t you get started on your paper so I can look it over before you turn it in? It’ll help to have a second set of eyes before it’s submitted.”

Yukhei nods. “I can definitely do that. I’ll see you on Monday?”

“I’ll see you on Monday,” Mark says with a grin, giving a little wave and heading out past the circulation desk and into the afternoon sun. Yukhei watches him go with a happy sort of feeling settling lightly in his chest, the sort of feeling that tells him everything is going to be okay.

Yukhei walks a little bit taller for the rest of the day. For once he’s not so worried about his Lit Theory grade, pretty damn sure that if anyone can whip him into shape it’s Mark Lee. He says as much to Jungwoo when they meet for pizza later that evening, shoved in the corner of a very crowded Lazy Moon as they raise their voices to be heard above the din. It’s not out of place for it to be this busy; Lazy Moon is notorious for their thirty inch pizzas, and for six bucks you can get a giant slice and a PBR which is pretty much what everyone needs after heading back to class on at the beginning of the week. That and the fact that it’s walking distance from the dorm buildings make it a popular hangout.

Jungwoo is cutting his pizza into little bite sized pieces like the princess he is, listening patiently as Yukhei chatters on and on and on about his tutoring session. Finally he looks up, taking a small sip of beer before speaking.

“When you and Mark Lee get married I want to be best man. I was the one who nagged you to go get tutoring in the first place.”

Yukhei chokes on his beer, wincing as it fizzes painfully up through his sinuses. “Woo,” he hisses, looking around. “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve know you for ten years, Yukhei,” Jungwoo points out, taking a careful bite and chewing thoughtfully. “I’ve seen you cycle through lots of crushes in our life. I know what the early stages of you vibing on someone looks like.” He looks back up, eyes expectant. “Well? Am I wrong?”

Cheeks flushing, Yukhei gives one last glance around to make sure no one is listening to them talk. You never know who knows who. “I don’t know. He is, potentially, the type of person I could have a crush on at some point. Not that I do. I just…I don’t even know what he _is_ yet, so it might not even matter.” He frowns as Jungwoo gets a look on his face, the one that means he’s said something stupid. “What?”

Jungwoo shrugs, resting his elbow on the table and his chin on his hand. “Would that really make a difference? Like, what if he’s an alpha? Would you not want to pursue that?”

Yukhei blinks, considers it. Because that’s the thing—he’s not against same-designation relationships, he’s just…never really considered one for myself. “I don’t know,” he says slowly. “I think I’d have to feel it out. You…you know my parents though, Jungwoo. You know that wouldn’t fly.”

Yukhei loves his parents very much. Yukhei’s parents love Yukhei very much. But they are a very traditional family with very traditional viewpoints. His father is an alpha, his mother an omega, and they’ve raised him with the firm belief that those descriptors, that pairing, matter. Omegas are meant to care for and nurture alphas. Alphas are meant to protect and provide for omegas. That’s just how it’s always been in his household.

It took him years to unlearn some of their worst behaviours, and yeah, Yukhei can admit that he’s still working on some shit.

“Promise me something.” Jungwoo reaches across the table, his hand soft and kind as he takes Yukhei’s. The omega’s scent is light and comforting, which means Yukhei is probably starting to smell panicked and Jungwoo is scenting the air to calm him down. Just like he always does when they start talking about his parents. “Get to know him without worrying about what goes on in his pants. Figure out if you like him beyond whatever his designation is. I know you met him today and it’s just this early, cute little crush, but who knows Yukhei? He could be your person.”

Yukhei blushes at the idea, a small grin curling his lips up at the corners. “Alright, Woo. I promise.”

-

The week passes so impossibly slowly that Yukhei can barely take it. His only distraction is the paper he’s been working on oh-so-very carefully so as not to let Mark down. He wants to prove that he can learn, that he can take constructive criticism and turn it into something good. He really, really doesn’t want Mark Lee to think that he’s a quitter, or lazy.

By the time his next tutoring session rolls around there are butterflies in his stomach that won’t fade no matter how many deep breathing exercises he does. He’s just about to shove his stuff in his bag and head for his econ class when his phone buzzes.

It’s Mark, which make the butterflies in Yukhei’s stomach triple. The message, however, does not.

_pipe burst in the library :(_

Yukhei sighs, because of course the universe has it out for him. He’s worked so damn hard on this paper, looked forward to this for an entire week. _damn. guess we have to reschedule?_

Not a minute passes before Mark responds. _like hell! we gotta make sure that paper is ready to submit, man! meet me at pita pit for dinner tonight?_

Pita Pit is, conveniently, right across the road from Lazy Moon. Yukhei is grinning like an idiot as he sends a text to accept, and yeah, he definitely has a crush. And a chance at passing this stupid class.

By the time he’s walking off of campus and to the little cluster of shops and restaurants a block away he’s trying to hold himself back from breaking into a run. After class he’d gone home to change into something a little…nicer, deciding on a pair of distressed jeans and one of his vintage band tees, hoping he looks cool but not too cool, not like he’s trying too hard or anything. In his excitement he almost forgets all of his stuff, having to run back upstairs to grab his backpack.

He gets to Pita Pit at exactly the same time as Mark, the smaller of the two huffing out a laugh. “Whoa, timing man,” he grins. “Yo, nice shirt! I love the Ramones.”

Yukhei preens a bit, trying to keep tight control of his scent so it’s not too obvious how much he liked that.

They find a place to sit easy enough, deciding to eat before they get down to business. Mark gets falafel, which Yukhei can safely say he’s never tried before in his entire life. The pita is stuffed with lettuce and black olive and drowned in ranch, and Mark scrunches his nose up like a little bunny every time he takes a bite. Yukhei is going to have a panic attack.

“How’s your week been?” Mark asks around a mouthful of food. “Anything exciting happen?”

Mark is asking about his _week_. This is practically a _date_.

“Nah, nothing thrilling,” Yukhei says honestly, peeling back the paper around his gyro. “I had a group project due so I spent most of my time trying to wrangle the rest of the group to work on it.”

Mark rolls his eyes. “I will never understand group projects. Do our professors really think five adults with classes and jobs and social lives can organize that easily? Like. The Avengers couldn’t even get their shit together. How are a bunch of disaffected youths going to do any better?”

Yukhei laughs, covering his mouth with his hand. “I feel like we have hundreds of years of history that demonstrate that mobs are a bad thing, right? Why do they want so badly for us to mobilize?” He grins, shaking his head. “What about you? Anything exciting?”

“I played thirty-two hours of No Man’s Sky,” Mark says, clearly pleased with himself. 

Yukhei makes a face. “Didn’t No Man’s Sky sort of…suck?”

Mark gasps, clapping his hand over his heart. “Yukhei no! No it’s so _good_ now. It’s like…a completely different game from when it was first released. Believe me it was totally bad in the beginning, but now there’s so much cool shit, I can’t even…man I can’t even describe it.”

“I feel like I’ve struck on one of your passions,” Yukhei laughs, eyes bright. 

Mark snorts, grinning. “Kinda, man.” They finish their meals, Mark getting up to drop their trash in the recycling. “Okay. You ready to look this over?”

There’s a small knot of anxiety in Yukhei’s stomach as he grabs his bag, pulling out the carefully typed, single spaced essay and passing it to Mark. He tried really, really hard on this. He figures he’s about to find out if he can actually do better, or if he’s as dumb as half the people he meets seem think he is. 

Mark is silent as he reads, occasionally sipping on his Sprite, chewing on his straw when he’s not. When he’s done he lays the paper down, looking up with a grin. “Yukhei.”

Yukhei groans, hiding his face in his hands. “It’s awful, right? Shit, I’m dumb, I should just give up now, drop out of school and take up modeling or something.”

Mark’s laugh pulls him out of the misery spiral he was about to fall into. “I mean, not that you don’t look like a total model, but you need to relax. You did awesome.”

Slowly lowering his fingers, Yukhei eyes him in disbelief. “You…really?”

“Yes!” Mark’s eyes are bright as he holds the paper up, waving it a bit for emphasis. “This is good! There are definitely a few things we can work on, but I’d call this a passing grade. Easy.”

Yukhei blushes, biting his lip. “Yeah?”

“Totally!” Mark says enthusiastically. He’s not wearing his glasses this time, which makes it easier for Yukhei to see how bright his eyes are. “Keep doing this and you’ll pass. Now give me a second to reread, I’ll make some notes for you so you can tweak it before you turn it in.”

Yukhei feels like a million dollars as Mark starts marking his essay. He gets up and grabs them each a strawberry cheesecake frozen yogurt, grinning as Mark making a small noise of delight as he tucks into it. All in all it ends up being a pretty great night, which Yukhei would never have suspected would happen with a tutoring session. 

They stay right up until the restaurant is about to close, too busy vacillating between discussing Yukhei’s paper and discussing their lives to notice how late it’s getting. Yukhei learns that Mark is from Canada, having moved south for school because of their renowned engineering program. He learns that he likes pineapple on pizza, and that he’s got an older brother that he doesn’t talk to that often. 

“He’s sort of the golden child,” Mark explains, though he doesn’t really seem very put off by it. “He’s this big popular alpha hockey player and my parents love that. They don’t really know what to do with their beta video game nerd younger kid.”

Yukhei’s head jerks up, eyes wide. “Beta?”

“Yeah?” Mark’s eyes are wide, curious as he studies Yukhei’s response. “Why?”

It hits Yukhei how weird his reaction must seem. He blushes and grins, deciding the truth is the only way to recover without looking like a total dick. “Honestly? I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out your designation, which saying out loud seems a little bit creepy.”

To Yukhei’s immense relief Mark smirks, raising an eyebrow. “It’s a little creepy,” he teases. “How could you not tell? I don’t have a scent.”

Thing is, Mark sort of does have a scent. He smells a little bit like fresh soap and cologne, which must be part of his morning routine, but Yukhei’s brain has filed that away instead as marksmell. He shrugs, blushing. “Dunno. Scent blockers are a thing.”

“Nah, don’t need ‘em,” Mark shrugs. “Never presented as anything.” He looks up as the employees start cleaning up, eyes going wide as he checks his watch. “Jesus, it’s late! We should get out of here so they can close.”

Yukhei wants nothing less than to call it a night. Still, he packs up his stuff and leads Mark out of the restaurant into the muggy summer air. “You heading back to campus?”

“No, I’ve got an apartment that way,” Mark says, hooking his thumb in the other direction. “I can’t handle the dorms, I did one semester and spent it feeling like I was sleeping in a coffin the entire time.” He looks up at Yukhei, grinning. “Need me to walk you home so you don’t get jumped?” He eyes Yukhei’s biceps, grinning. “Delicate thing like you, all alone.”

Yukhei laughs, face flushing. “I should be able to hold my own. I’ll see you again in a week?”

Mark grins, nodding. “See you in a week, Yukhei.”

The walk back to his dorm block isn’t a long one. Ten minutes roughly, thanks to long legs and an athletic constitution. Still, it’s plenty of time for Yukhei to get lost in thought.

He’s never dated a beta before. The more he dwells on it the more shitty that seems, like he’s written off this entire group of people just because of the life he always expected he’d lead. The life his parents expected he would lead. But Mark…he can’t just write Mark off. He wants to be Mark’s best friend, but also to kiss him and hold him and maybe see what’s going on under the hoodies he wears. It’s a weird tangle of emotions swirling around his head, one that will hopefully calm down with a beer and a good night’s sleep.

By the time he’s back in his dorm he’s only sure of one thing; he doesn’t give a damn what his designation is, he’s got a big, stupid crush on Mark Lee.


	2. Chapter 2

Yukhei is no stranger to a good rager. As a member of the university basketball team he's got a leg in with most of the frats on campus, and though he never wanted to rush himself, he's made a decent amount of friends among their numbers. This particular Friday night sees him stepping into the Tau Kappa Epsilon building, a big white house in the middle of Greek Row. It's packed. Really, truly packed. Every room he passes through is full of bodies, and the smell of sweat and alcohol is thick in the air.

Jungwoo clings tight to his arm as they make their way in, eyes wide as he takes in the sheer amount of people around them. He's carrying the case of Blue Moon they picked up at the liquor store in his right hand, the left tucked carefully into Yukhei's elbow. "Jesus. Maybe we should have just gone to Devaney's, it's two-for-one night with your student ID."

"Yeah but the bouncer hates me," Yukhei points out, raising his voice a bit to be heard over the noise. "Last time he kept following me around like I was there specifically to harass omegas." Yukhei scowls at the memory. Sure, maybe he was there to flirt and have some fun, maybe find someone cute to pick up and take home, but it was all very above board, thank you so much.

“I’m the only omega you like to harass,” Jungwoo teases. "Oh well. We're here now anyway, might as well enjoy it."

They pick their way through the house into the kitchen, miraculously finding just enough space to shove their beers in the fridge to keep them cold. Yukhei pulls two out, handing one to Jungwoo before popping the tab on his own. "You going to mingle? Or do you want to dance?"

Jungwoo seems to consider the question. "Dance first, mingle after. I want to get a little buzzed before I have to start meeting a shit ton of people."

He takes Yukhei's hand, leading him into the living room where an obscenely large speaker system is pumping a heavy base line through the crowd. With an arm around Yukhei's neck he pulls his friend close, and they find a rhythm as they start to dance.

This is the beauty of their friendship. Everything's easy, no pressure to conform to certain roles, no expectation that they'll fall onto one another like animals just because they're an alpha and omega. Ever since they met in school it's been like this, an effortless sort of camaraderie, an easy understanding of where they fall. Yukhei can't remember all the times he's played wingman for Jungwoo, all the times Jungwoo has tried to set him up with omegas in his circle. Beyond that, all the times Jungwoo was there to pick up Yukhei’s pieces after some stupid drama with his family pulled him apart. They've had each other's backs for a long time.

Yukhei smiles down at Jungwoo, giving him a little squeeze. "You're a good friend, you know that?" He laughs as Jungwoo makes a face, staring up at him suspiciously. "What? I mean it!"

"You only get mushy like this when I'm close to my heat and I smell too 'omega,'" he teases.

Yukhei gasps, scandalized. "Like hell! I tell you how much I love you all the time!"

"I know, I know, I'm teasing," Jungwoo says with a grin. "And I love you too. Let's make a 'My Best Friend's Wedding' pact that if we're not married by thirty we'll just marry each other."

Yukhei sighs dramatically, shaking his head. "I'd love too, Woo, but I'm going to be married to Mark Lee within the year. We'll have two kids, and a cute little house by the beach. I hate to break your heart but I hope you can find it deep within yourself to be happy for us."

Jungwoo laughs and rolls his eyes, puts his hand on Yukhei's face and lightly pushes him away. They go back to dancing, getting more and more into the music, more and more into their beer, lost in the opportunity to shed their long busy weeks and just relax.

And then Yukhei hears someone shout his name so impossibly loud that it carries well over the noise of the speakers, so loud that a few of the people around them turn their heads in confusion to see where the yelling is coming from. Yukhei is one of said people. Usually when someone shouts his name that loud he's about to get punched, so he instinctively puts Jungwoo behind him, blocking him from the noise as he searches.

And then he sees Mark Lee bounding through the crowd, a giant grin on his face and a bottle of Shock Top in his hand. Something very close to delight fills Yukhei from the inside out, his face splitting into a wide grin as Mark tries to wriggle his way over to them.

"Oh my god your scent just went wild," Jungwoo chokes behind him, punching him lightly in the arm.

"Shut up," Yukhei hisses over his shoulder before turning back around. "Mark fucking Lee! I didn't have you pegged as the party type!"

Mark gasps, scandalized. "Why? I'm fun as hell, I party all the time. I'm like. The best at partying, Yukhei. You have no idea." He glances over Yukhei's shoulder, and did Yukhei imagine it or did Mark’s smile falter a bit as he caught sight of Jungwoo? "Oh. Hey. I'm Mark." He looks Jungwoo up and down, examines how close he's standing to Yukhei, and yeah, he's definitely sizing him up.

Which Jungwoo notices immediately, clearly delighted by it. "Jungwoo," he says, offering his hand, posture prim and perfect as he grins like a cat who got the cream. "Yukhei's bestie."

"Bestie?" Mark repeats, glancing up at Yukhei. "I saw you two dancing, I thought you might be—"

At the same time Yukhei and Jungwoo make dramatic gagging noises, shaking their heads. "God no," Yukhei says, laughing. "I mean, he's great and all, but we're not...that."

"We will never _be_ that," Jungwoo says pointedly, looking Mark in the eye.

Something seems to pass between the two men, but Yukhei can't quite make out what it is and he can't exactly press Jungwoo for details with Mark right there. "Did you come here with anyone, or just drop in like a lone wolf?" he asks Mark, finishing the beer in his hand and setting the empty can on a nearby table. "You need another drink?"

"I'm here with friends. Oh! Actually!" He pulls Yukhei down, leaning in closer so they don't have to shout as much. The proximity makes Yukhei feel a bit hot all over. "We've been looking for a fourth person to play beer pong with us. Want to come?"

Yukhei glances to Jungwoo, giving the best puppy eyes he can muster. "Would you mind?"

"Saves me trying to get rid of you later," Jungwoo says with a smirk. "There are hella cute boys here, I'm going to go find one of my very own."

This is why Jungwoo is the best. They support each other's slutty endeavors. "Alright, you know the rules. If you go home with someone text me his address so I can avenge you if you end up dead," Yukhei says, ducking down so Jungwoo can kiss his cheek. "Text me when you leave the party, too."

"I will," Jungwoo says, smiling. He looks over Yukhei's shoulder at Mark, raising an eyebrow pointedly. "Have fun with him, Mark." With a coy little wave he turns, disappearing into the crowd. Yukhei can't wait to be teased over all of this in the morning.

"He seems nice," Mark says, something hiding under his words. Yukhei is too distracted by the close proximity of Mark’s body to dig for it.

Yukhei shrugs, grinning as he bumps his shoulder lightly into Mark's. "He is nice. He's a good friend," he says pointedly, emphasizing the word "friend." "More like my brother than anything, I guess."

Yukhei finally takes a moment to get a good look at Mark. He looks...incredible. His jeans hug his thighs nicely, and his white tank top shows off what's been hiding under the hoodies he usually wears to their study sessions. It's been four weeks now, four lovely, beautiful weeks, and getting to see Mark like this is something Yukhei will treasure for the rest of his life. It also sort of catches him off guard. Mark is a little dude, but he's surprisingly built.

They head into the back yard, a bit less hectic than the rest of the place. Set up near the pool is a beer pong table, two guys waving Mark over as they approach.

"Johnny, Jaehyun, this is Yukhei," Mark introduces, a wide smile on his face. "Yukhei, Johnny and Jaehyun."

Yukhei shakes their hands, grinning. "Hey, I'm pretty sure you're in my poli sci class," he says to Johnny. The alpha is pretty tall, about as tall as Yukhei is with an easy smile and heavy lidded eyes. He's got his black hair cut into a pretty slick looking undercut, though it hangs loose and soft, no product to hold it back.

"Oh yeah, with professor Kim," Johnny nods, eyes wide. "Yeah! That class sucks," he adds, laughing when Yukhei nods.

The omega next to him—Jaehyun—rolls his eyes. "How can you tell it sucks? You barely ever go." He smiles at Yukhei, his grin as soft as his cheeks, as soft as his hands when he shakes Yukhei's. "Nice to meet you."

"I'd go more if we learned anything useful," Johnny points out, bouncing a ping pong ball against the table and easily catching it when it comes back down. "You don't need to go to be able to do all the work, which is saying something. Super glad my tuition goes towards paying that guy."

"Anywayyyy," Mark interjects, snorting. "Are we going to play? I finally found a teammate, let's go."

Yukhei takes his place next to Mark, allowing himself to stand a little closer than he normally would. "For all you know I suck at this," he teases. "We're going to be loaded in one round."

Mark looks up, winking. "I have faith in you."

And fuck, if that doesn't make Yukhei feel a little bit stupid, a little bit giddy. He _is_ pretty damn good at beer pong. His hand-eye coordination is solid, especially after years of playing basketball. He sinks his first shot, cheeks going pink when Mark cheers in delight, ducking his head down. "Aw, dude, you're going to give me an ego."

"You deserve it," Mark insists, eyes bright. "That was dead on."

Johnny takes a long drink of his beer, sighing as he looks to Jaehyun. "I have a feeling we're going to get our asses kicked."

Jaehyun shrugs, seemingly unbothered. "You're the one that always insists I play on your team, you know I'm bad at this."

Johnny and Jaehyun do, in fact, get their asses handed to them. They're good sports about it though, throwing back each cup without complaint, laughing and swaying and cheering each other on any time one finally manages to sink a shot. It's sort of adorable watching them together, the way they hang on to each other, the way they whisper and laugh like they're the only two people in the world.

"They're so fucking cute," Yukhei murmurs to Mark. "How long have they been dating?"

Mark snorts. "They're not." He laughs at the look of shock that earns him. "Isn't that ridiculous? They totally act like they're already married, but they're just friends. Well, according to them."

"Well I give that two more months," Yukhei muses.

By the end of the game Yukhei is definitely buzzed, feeling light and floaty and delicious as he lets Mark pull him away from the table with a hand in his own. They end up sitting at the edge of the pool, jeans rolled up to their knees as they let their feet dangle in the water. Mark is watching the party carry on around them, eyes distant, fingertips curled over concrete to run his fingertips over where the smooth tiled walls of the pool begin. Yukhei tries to watch him without being too obvious, even though his heart is pretty much hammering in his chest and Mark _must_ be able to hear it, right?

"What are you thinking about?" Mark's voice seems to come out of nowhere, rattling Yukhei as he's pulled from his thoughts. He blushes, looking down into the water as if it might present him with some quick excuse.

"I don't know," he says lamely. "I'm uh. Pretty buzzed, man. You guys don't fuck around, you fill those cups right to the top."

"We go hard," Mark says, no small amount of pride in his voice. "Everyone thinks that because I'm so short I can't keep up, a man's gotta prove himself."

"You don't have to prove shit to anyone," Yukhei insists, leaning in a bit. "You're fucking awesome, Mark Lee. Anyone who says otherwise is clearly an idiot with no taste.” He startles a bit when Mark turns to look at him, swallowing hard. “I mean. You’re super cool. You’re a good dude.”

Mark grins, biting his lip and looking away. “You’re a good dude too, Yukhei. You’re not…” His cheeks turn pink, and Yukhei thinks it’s the sweetest thing he’s ever seen. “You’re not like other alphas? Like...I’ve met so many people who feel like they need to put me in my place for being a beta, or some shit. Or they just lump me in with the omegas, because I’m short or something.”

Yukhei swallows hard, trying desperately to figure out where this is going. “I mean. I’m not perfect,” he admits quietly, the alcohol loosening his tongue and, apparently, his emotions. “I can be bad about picking fights if I think someone is an asshole. And like, Jungwoo always yells at me for always trying to carry heavy stuff like he can’t do it himself. I’m not...the best.”

Suddenly there’s a hand in his own, Mark’s grin open and honest as he looks up at Yukhei. “Yeah but...it seems to me like you care that it bothers him. That’s what matters, I think.”

Yukhei swallows hard, this weird sort of “all or nothing” feeling bubbling up inside of him. “I never...I never knew what to do with betas,” he admits, clinging tight to Mark’s hand. “My parents have always been weird about it, honestly. I was raised to expect to find some omega, settle down, start a family. I’m...I’m trying to unlearn that. To see the person first.”

This is one of those moments that will stay with Yukhei for the rest of his life, he can already tell. Sitting in the balmy night air, feet dangling in the water, hand in Mark’s, it’s all leaving an indelible print on his mind that won’t ever fade. Overhead the stars twinkle and blink in and out of sight, a thin whisp of clouds drifting along the night sky. Somewhere nearby some girl is singing Abba at the top of her lungs.

Mark is staring at him with wide eyes. “And like...how’s that going for you?” he asks, licking his lips.

There are a million different ways Yukhei could respond to that. A million sentences wait at the ready on the tip of his tongue, things like “I can’t stop thinking about you” and “I’m obsessed with the way you laugh.” Instead he pulls his hand from Mark’s, instead using it to cup his cheek and gently tilt his head up. Mark goes easily, leans in without question. His eyes are already heavy lidded and his lips are already parted, and Yukhei figures that’s a green light if he’s ever seen one.

The kiss is so fucking tender that Yukhei’s heart aches in his chest. Mark's lips are soft and warm where they press against his own, and the soft little noise he makes at the back of his throat nearly does Yukhei in. Letting his eyes flutter shut he slides his thumb along Mark's cheekbone, back and down to cup lightly at the back of his neck. Mark, clearly not happy being a passive participant, brings his hands up to cup Yukhei's cheeks, parting his lips slightly to flick his tongue over Yukhei's bottom lip.

They pull away, Yukhei a little bit dazed, Mark looking thoroughly pleased with this turn of events.

"Mark Lee," Yukhei sighs, scraping his teeth over his bottom lip. "I have had this like...massive fucking crush on you since the moment you sat at that table in the library," he sighs, leaning in to press another soft kiss to the corner of Mark's mouth. "I'm like, a little bit crazy about you, man."

Mark laughs, a soft, happy sound. "How do you think I felt? This big beautiful alpha sits down across from me all eager to learn, I almost melted on the spot."

Yukhei grins, pulling him in for another kiss. He pulls one leg up from the water to rest between them, twisting to face Mark a little bit better, hold him a little bit closer. Mark's arms wrap around his neck, holding tight, and Yukhei is pretty sure he could die happy with Mark Lee wrapped up in his arms.

"AYYY MARK LEE GETTIT!"

"Oh my God Johnny shut _up_."

Mark pulls away, laughing as he hides his face against Yukhei's neck. "I hate my friends."

Shivering slightly at the way Mark's breath whispers over his skin, Yukhei grins and rubs large hands over Mark's back, down to rest at his hips. "I can't blame him man, I'd be that guy."

"He's still an asshole," Mark snorts, grinning. Extricating himself from Yukhei's hold, he stands and brushes off the back of his pants. As Yukhei looks up at him a look of determination crosses his face. "I think I'm over this party. Do you want to...walk me home?"

Yukhei jumps to his feet so fast he nearly falls back into the pool. "Let's go.”

Mark's apartment isn't a far walk, thank god. Once they're off campus it's a pretty short journey past the strip mall with the Pita Pit, into the parking lot of a huge apartment building that Yukhei is pretty sure went up last summer. That's the way it works in this part of town; they're always putting up new buildings, new student housing to try and lure people away from the dorms. Yukhei's been debating it. His roommate is chill and all, but he could go for having a place of his own.

Mark's hand is small in his, fingers laced with Yukhei's as he uses a key card to swipe into the building. This place is definitely new, the lobby is pristine and there are actual working elevators.

"Damn, you got one of the fancy places," Yukhei teases as they step into an elevator, the doors sliding shut behind them. He leans against the wall, Mark immediately fitting himself into the space between his legs.

"I'm good with money," Mark says simply, sliding his palms up and down Yukhei's chest. "I also apply for scholarships like my life depends on it."

Yukhei slides his hands around Mark's hips, squeezing lightly. "That's hot. I like my men sensible," he teases.

Mark snorts and rolls his eyes, though he can't help but grin as he leans in to steal a kiss. This one is harder, hotter than the one they shared back at the party. Mark runs his tongue along the seam of Yukhei's lips, giving a little whine when he isn't granted immediate access. Yukhei smirks as he guides him away, standing straight as the elevator dings. "Almost."

He's never felt this way before a hookup. Usually they're fast and sloppy, a quick fuck with some nameless omega that slips out before he wakes up in the morning. Now all he can think about is what he can do to make Mark feel good. It's like he's going into battle, planning his attack or some shit. Will he like it if Yukhei leaves hickeys all over his neck and shoulders? Is he into being eaten out? For the first time in his life Yukhei actually wants to ask first, and if that isn't character development then he doesn't know what is.

The inside of Mark's apartment is...well, it's exactly what Yukhei expected. Simple and neat, the walls decorated with retro sci-fi movie posters and pictures of friends and family. The TV mounted on the wall is decently big, and underneath seems to be every gaming console known to man.

"Nice place," Yukhei murmurs, though he doesn't have a real opportunity to look, because Mark is all but dragging him down the hall and into his bedroom.

"Thanks," Mark murmurs. "I'll give you the proper tour later." He flicks the light on, turning to Yukhei with a ravenous look that has him shaking.

Sometimes Yukhei feels too big for the world around him. Too tall, too ungainly, too loud. Right now it hits him again, staring Mark down from barely a meter away, hands hanging uselessly at his sides as he tries to hold himself back, take his time. "Mark..."

Apparently Mark isn't as interested in patience. He practically lunges forward, pulling Yukhei down so he can kiss him, open-mouthed and hungry. Yukhei groans and thrusts his tongue past Mark's lips, that nagging urge to _take_ starting to settle low in his gut. He lets himself ignore it for the moment. It's too important to get Mark onto the bed, to spread him out and kiss him until he's breathless and desperate. With slow steps he walks Mark back until he's bumping into the edge of the mattress.

"Mark," he sighs, leaning in to kiss along his jaw. "Fuck, you're so hot, I've wanted you for weeks..."

Mark gasps softly, the prettiest noise Yukhei has heard in his entire life. He flops down onto the bed, kicking off his shoes before scrambling to sit against the pillows. "Come get me, then," he orders, gaze heavy. Yukhei has never obeyed so quickly in his entire life. He crawls to join Mark, pressing up close to his side as Mark pulls him in for another kiss.

They make out for awhile, which is another delightful thing about Mark; yeah, he wants Mark's dick in his mouth, but there's honestly no rush? He's just as happy to kiss him, to swallow the breathless sounds Mark makes as they lick and suck and taste. He lets his hand fall to Mark's hip, squeezing gently, wondering what the smaller man would look like with bruises in the shapes of his fingertips. He really, really hopes he gets the opportunity to find out. 

Pulling away, Yukhei marvels at the wet sound of their lips parting, the ragged breaths coming from Mark’s chest. “Hey, quick talk?”

Mark hums, nods, runs his fingers through Yukhei’s hair. “What’s up?”

Yukhei can’t remember the last time he felt this shy in bed with someone, but with Mark it’s just...important. He doesn’t want this to be a one off, he wants this to be something they do again and again complete with breakfast in the morning and dates in between. “Is this a one night stand?” he asks, unused to feeling this vulnerable. The alpha inside of him hates it. “Cause...I don’t want it to be, Mark. I’m really into you and I don’t want this to be something we do and then never discuss again.”

The response he gets from Mark is a bright smile, gentle hands cupping his cheeks and pulling him down for another kiss. “I don’t want it to be a one time thing either,” he says, breathless. “Stay the night. Let’s get breakfast in the morning. I want to spend time with you.”

“Fuck yeah, that sounds awesome,” Yukhei replies, beaming. “Second thing, I uh...have literally never slept with a beta before?” he says, blushing. “So you might have to tell me what you like and don’t like?”

“I have never been shy about what I like and don’t like,” Mark teases. He pushes Yukhei onto his back, swinging a leg over to straddle his hips. “I don’t think it’s that different. Don’t get too worked up over it.”

Yukhei is too busy looking up at Mark with wide eyes to register what he’s just said. “Who’s worked up?”

Mark smirks, giving a slow, easy roll of his hips. It pushes his ass against Yukhei’s hard on, growing harder by the minute in his jeans. Even through layers of fabric Yukhei can feel that his ass is tight and small and perfect, and god he might not survive the night. “I don’t know, you feel a little bit worked up.” 

“Oh, that old thing?” Yukhei wheezes, hands flying up Mark’s hips. He runs his palms down firm thighs, licking his lips. “Fine, I might be a little bit excited.”

Leaning close, Mark lets his lips ghost lightly over Yukhei’s jaw, up to nibble at his earlobe. He closes his lips at the thin skin just behind his ear, sucking firmly, pulling off with a wet pop. “Don’t worry, I am too.” He presses his hips down so this time Yukhei can feel Mark’s erection through his jeans.

Leaning down, Mark licks a stripe along his neck. “Did you like that?” he murmurs, lips tickling Yukhei’s skin. “Fuck your scent went crazy, even I can smell it.”

“I thought betas couldn’t pick up on that stuff,” Yukhei pants, sliding his hands around to squeeze Mark’s ass. 

Mark hums, nipping along his throat to suck at his collarbone. “Not unless it’s really strong.” He rolls his hips again, working a hickey right at the line of Yukhei’s t-shirt. “You wanna fuck me, Yukhei? Show me how strong you really are?”

It takes practically no effort for Yukhei to flip Mark onto his back, pin his wrists to the mattress on either side of his head. “Are you sure you want that, Marky?” Yukhei growls, lips hovering over Mark’s. “You sure you can keep up?”

Instead of answering Mark leans in, crushing his lips against Yukhei’s as his hips rock to bring their clothed erections together. It is suddenly wildly important that they get naked; Yukhei does his best to keep his lips on Mark’s as he unbuttons his pants, pushing them down over thick thighs and reaching down as far as possible to push them off. His own come next, and it’s easier to kick them off of his legs and on to the floor.

Mark is panting when he pulls away, eyes bright as he stops Yukhei from pulling Mark’s shirt off. “Rip it off,” he suggests, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Yukhei stares, dumbfounded. “What?”

“Rip it off,” Mark repeats, licking his lips. “I’ve been staring at your muscles in secret for like, a month now. I want to see what they can do.” 

Yukhei can’t really argue with that, even though he stares at Mark in shock for a few moments to figure out if he’s serious. All he sees in Mark’s eyes is pure want, unmasked lust. With a predatory grin he gets his hands twisted in the fabric of Mark’s shirt, tearing it apart with an ease that makes Mark gasp and shiver. 

“Oh fuck yeah, just as hot as I imagined,” Mark whines as Yukhei starts kissing down his chest. “Big strong alpha, look at your _arms_.”

Yukhei can’t help but preen at the praise, taking Mark’s nipple between his lips and sucking gently. One of his hands, so much bigger than Mark’s own, finds his way between Mark’s legs to palm at his erection through his boxers. “Mark, fuck, want you so bad…” He takes the tender nub between his teeth, tugging until Mark is whining and squirming underneath him, nipple flushed and red. “Can I fuck you? Please?”

“You better,” Mark scoffs, arching his back to push his chest up, encouraging Yukhei’s mouth. His hand disappears under the pillows, returning with a bottle of lube. “Here.”

Suddenly Mark looks shy, cheeks turning pink as he looks down, as if trying to find the right words to say. Yukhei catches it immediately, moving back up to kiss Mark slowly, the press of their lips tender. “Hey, what is it?” he asks, their lips brushing together. “What do you need?”

Mark looks up to meet Yukhei’s eyes, and Yukhei is taken by how long and pretty his eyelashes are. “Will you...I mean, if you want to...can you knot me?” he asks, voice small.

The idea hits Yukhei like a bullet to the brain. He hadn’t considered knotting Mark; it’s not something he does with one-night stands, so it’s been a while since he’s done it at all. Beyond that, is Mark’s body even capable of taking it? It’s not like the idea isn’t incredible though, so he nods, letting out a shaky breath. “Yeah, absolutely,” he says, voice raspy. “Anything you want, babe.”

Mark grins, so wide and beautiful that Yukhei has to kiss him again. And again. And a third time, just for luck. When he finally pulls away it’s with the singular focus of getting Mark Lee naked, so he sits back on his feet and pulls Mark’s boxers down over his thighs.

The more skin revealed, the more perfect Mark seems. His hips are slim and bony, thighs strong, cock proportionately long and thin and curved against Mark’s stomach. “Look at you,” Yukhei breathes, drawing his fingers along the hard length, teasing the tip of his middle finger over the slit. “You’re fucking beautiful.”

Mark blushes, hiding his face behind his hand. “Shut up and take your own boxers off,” he demands, voice muffled.

Yukhei laughs, moving to obey. As soon as his own underwear is shucked off Mark’s eyes are open and wide again, taking him in with a shaking breath. “Fuck, your dick is big,” Mark breathes, licking his lips. “Holy fuck, Yukhei.”

Yukhei can’t help the way that strokes his ego. “Can’t wait to fuck you,” he breathes, laying on top of Mark and pushing their hips together. “Going to feel so good, make you feel amazing…”

With Yukhei pinning him to the bed Mark can barely move, which apparently does things for him. He gasps and moans, squirming against Yukhei’s hold. “Hurry up, need it, need you…”

Yukhei nods, ducking in for a kiss before getting to work. He kneels between Mark’s legs, slicking his fingers before reaching down to circle one around Mark’s rim. “So pretty everywhere,” he sighs, getting Mark’s hole nice and wet before working a finger in. “How are you even real, Mark Lee?”

“Yukhei, Jesus,” Mark sighs, letting his thighs fall apart to give Yukhei more room to work. He’s flexible. Yukhei won’t forget that little fact. He works another finger in, scissoring lightly, testing the give. It’s clear Mark is no stranger to this. He opens up like a dream. Two fingers become three, and then, since he wants to be knotted, four. Just to be safe. By the time Yukhei decides he’s actually ready Mark is gasping and rutting down on his fingers, leaking cock twitching every time Yukhei strokes over his prostate.

Pulling his fingers out, Yukhei grips one of Mark’s thighs in his hand and presses it to his chest. “You ready?” he purrs, rubbing his length teasingly along Mark’s waiting entrance. It’s so hard to not just grab him and push in, but he really, really wants to hear Mark beg.

Which he does. Beautifully. “Yukhei please,” Mark moans, lips swollen and pink from chewing on them. “Come on, gimme your cock, want to f-feel you inside of me…” His hands twist in the sheets, trying to keep them off of his own dick. “Fill me up, c’mon alpha, give it to me…”

The way he says ‘alpha’ makes Yukhei’s brain short circuit. With a smooth thrust forward he presses into Mark’s tight heat, eyes fluttering shut at how warm and slick and _perfect_ it is. 

“Fuck babe,” he groans, head falling forward. “Shit, you feel so good…”

Mark’s hands are shaking as they grab at Yukhei’s shoulder, pulling him down for a kiss. It presses his thigh right to his chest, lets Yukhei slip a little deeper, gasping softly. “God, you’re so big,” Mark mumbles, a look of pure concentration on his face as he tries to relax. “F-fuck, ah, feels incredible…”

“Mhm…” Yukhei kisses all over Mark’s face, arms shaking with the effort of holding himself up as he waits for Mark to adjust. “Let me know when you’re ready…”

Mark nods, taking a few deep breaths. Finally he rocks his hips up, whispering a breathless “go.” Yukhei immediately sets a slow pace, the tiniest thrusts to help them both adjust. It’s not just for Mark’s sake - Yukhei feels so good that he might actually cry, and that would be fucking embarrassing. So he eases himself into it, fucks Mark slow and shallow, lets himself calm down a little bit.

“O-oh…” Mark squirms, bringing the leg not pressed to his chest up to wrap around Yukhei’s hip. “Fuck fuck _fuck_ that’s nice,” he hisses, head thrown back. Yukhei takes that as an invitation to kiss along his neck, getting an immediate hit of _marksmell_—that perfect combination of sweat, cologne, and whatever scents still cling to him from the party. And better than all of that is the fact that underneath, just barely there, Mark smells a little bit like Yukhei.

That’s what does him in. He pulls out almost all the way before slamming back in, a wolfish grin curling his lips as Mark practically screams his delight. Thank god he doesn’t have roommates. Yukhei does it again, and again, over and over until Mark is clawing at his back with sharp nails that leave pink welts along his skin.

“Hold on,” Mark whines, patting at his shoulder. “Hold on hold on hold on. Pull out?” Yukhei immediately does so, worried that maybe he hurt Mark, maybe he fucked up. But Mark just pushes him onto his back, kneeling to straddle Yukhei’s hips and sinking down onto his cock once more. “Oh fuck yeah,” he chokes, head falling back. “Oh my god.”

“You like to be on top?” Yukhei coos, sliding his hands over Mark’s waist. Once more he’s amazed at how tiny Mark is, his fingers almost meeting at the small of his back. “You like having an alpha underneath you, baby?”

“I don’t care if you’re underneath or on top of I’m hanging upside down, just want your knot,” Mark chokes, rocking his hips slowly. “God Yukhei you’re so fucking hot…”

Their bodies work together so effortlessly. Yukhei is amazed at how they just seem to read each other’s needs, wringing each other out as they get closer and closer to finishing. By the time Yukhei can feel his knot starting to grow they’ve been all over the bed in what feels like a dozen different positions and the sheets are a hopeless mess, pulled up from the mattress at every corner.

“I’m close, you still want me to knot you?” Yukhei pants. He’s got Mark on all fours now, pounding into him from behind, big hands gripping Mark’s skinny shoulders. “S’gonna be tight, you sure you can take it?”

“I can take it,” Mark whines, dropping his chest to the bed. His back arches so prettily, Yukhei nearly loses it right there. He wraps one arm around Mark’s hips, grabbing his aching cock and stroking quickly. 

“Want you to come first, come on baby,” he coaxes. “Let me hear how bad you want it, how much you want me to come inside you.”

Mark nods frantically, hips bucking back to meet Yukhei’s thrusts. One more twist of Yukhei’s palm over the head of his cock and he’s coming, biting down on his pillow as he shouts and spills into Yukhei’s waiting hand. Yukhei presses harder into his heat, his knot catching Mark’s rim with each thrust, and soon enough he’s coming too. He presses his forehead between Mark’s shoulder blade as he comes, hips bucking, bodies locking together.

When he comes to Mark is whimpering softly, fingers digging into the mattress. Yukhei carefully eases them onto their sides, pressing kisses along his neck and shoulders. “You okay?” he pants, voice soft, clean hand gentle where it strokes Mark’s hair back off of his forehead.

Mark nods, though Yukhei can’t tell if the expression on his face is bliss or distress. “You’re big,” he chokes. 

“Fuck.” Yukhei’s face falls. “Does it hurt really bad? It’ll be over soon, it’s okay babe, just relax…”

“No!” Mark’s eyes go wide, tears clinging to his lashes. “No I fucking love it! It’s just. It’s overwhelming. Intense.”

Yukhei relaxes, heart crawling back up from where it dropped to his feet at the idea of hurting Mark. He wipes the come on his hand on the bedsheets (they’re ruined anyway) before wrapping both arms around Mark’s waist, holding him close. They fall into a comfortable silence. Every now and then Mark will shift his hips like he wants to test the hold Yukhei has on him, and every time he sighs and relaxes a bit more, sinks into the warmth of Yukhei’s arms.

“You were fucking incredible,” Yukhei says sluggishly. He always gets sleepy after sex, and by now it’s gotta be like, three in the morning. “You’re something else, Mark Lee.”

Mark laughs, and it’s clear he’s exhausted too. “I love how you use my full name.”

“Gives proper weight to how cool you are,” Yukhei says, as if that makes any sense at all. He yawns, burying his face in Mark’s back. “M’gonna fall asleep.”

Small hands cover Yukhei’s, held tight to Mark’s chest. It feels good. Safe and warm and perfect, and yeah, Yukhei could sleep like this every night and never get tired of it. “Me too,” Mark admits. “Go to sleep. Wanna fall asleep with you inside of me.”

It’s a terrible idea, but odds are one of them will shift in the night and Yukhei’s dick will slip out anyway. “Kay. Can I buy you breakfast in the morning?”

He can hear Mark’s grin, even though he can’t see it. “It’s a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've followed my ramblings about these two on cc you'll notice their story changed a bit. This felt a lot more organic with how the story was going and how their characters are established!


	3. Chapter 3

**From: Mother  
Subject: Hello?**

_To my darling son who apparently doesn’t know how to use his very expensive mobile phone to call his parents;_

_Hello, it’s your mother! The woman who gave you life, who carried you in her womb for nine months, who loves you more than all the stars in the sky. We haven’t heard from you in a bit so I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing._

_Nothing too new going on here at home. Your father had to have some dental work done on Monday so he’s been walking around grumbling for the better part of the week. He’s fine, he just likes to fuss, as we both know. Your brother did well on his midterms, he’s taken to his science courses like a dream, I think he might start looking into a major in the field. One sports star and one academic, I’m a lucky mama._

_How are things on campus? Were you able to figure out your English grade? I’d hate to see you suffer because of something as silly as an essay, I’m hoping you reached out to your professor for help. Has anyone special caught your eye yet, or are you and Jungwoo finally willing to admit that you’re meant to be together?_

_Don’t make that face that I know you’re making, I’m just teasing. Seriously though, if you can’t call then please just email me back, we miss hearing from you!_

_Kisses,  
Mom_

**From: Xuxi  
Subject: Re: Hello?**

_hey! sorry, i know i’ve been terrible at calling, things have been super hectic lately. between classes and practice and trying to have a social life (and being the most forgetful person in the world) i’ve totally forgot to call. i’m sorry! i love you! please don’t disown me!_

_glad to hear the little one is doing well. we text every week so i’m roughly caught up on his life, i wish you guys would let him teach you how to text, we could communicate so much more! it’s the future, ma!_

_definitely still not dating woo, sorry lol. he had a date last night actually, i’ll get the details and then pass them on to you. i know you’re as invested in his dating life as you are in mine. actually, as for my dating life...i am seeing someone? and i have been for a few months now? i didn’t want to say anything yet because it felt super new and i didn’t want to jinx anything but i really really like him, mom. he actually tutored me in english, so he’s the one you can thank for the fact that i’m passing lol. he’s name is mark and he’s a an engineering major and he’s just really funny and kind and he likes to go on adventures and he’s really cute?_

_ugh i’m gushing gross. i’ll call you when he’s not right next to me so i can tell you more!_

_love you guys,  
xuxi _

**From: Mother  
Subject: Re: re: Hello?**

_Xuxi that’s so exciting! I can’t wait to hear all about him, if you like him then I’m sure I will too. See? I told you there was an omega out there for you, sometimes you just have to be patient._

_Love you!  
Mom_

Yukhei swallows hard as he reads the latest message from his mother, chewing anxiously at his lip. Now is the ideal time to tell her that Mark is a beta. The door is open, she seems like she’s in a good mood, and it’s not like he wants to hide his relationship anyway. He’s not ashamed of Mark, or his designation. So why can’t he get his fingers to type out the words?

He tries. He even has “lol funny you should mention that” typed in a new mail message before he chickens out and deletes it, going so far as the shut down the app entirely to erase all traces of his potential admission.

“What’s wrong?”

Yukhei jumps as Mark’s voice cuts through the silence of the apartment. They haven’t said much in the past half-hour, Mark’s been too engrossed in playing Overwatch and Yukhei’s been dancing around this back and forth with his mother. He isn’t sure if he’s wearing his anxiety on his face or if Mark is just that good at reading him after almost three months together. Honestly, it could be both. Sometimes it’s downright scary how good Mark is at picking up on Yukhei’s moods.

Yukhei swallows, offering a grin. “Nothing, everything is cool. Just thinking about the game this week, wondering how we’ll do.”

“Obviously you’ll do amazing,” Mark says, smiling wide. He puts his controller aside, halfway through checking out Tracer’s new skins as he crawls into Yukhei’s lap. “You work so hard, you’ll be incredible.”

Yukhei’s smile becomes more genuine, more relaxed. He hates lying to Mark but it seems way too early to burden him with the truth of Yukhei’s parents. It’s way too early for that, right? He rests his hands on Mark’s hips, giving an affectionate little squeeze. “You’re still coming, right?”

That earns him a snort, a look on Mark’s face like that’s the dumbest question he’s ever heard. “Like I would miss it. I could be missing an arm, nursing a stump and bleeding all over the floor and I’d still be there.” His grin returns as he rests his hands on Yukhei’s shoulders. “Besides, we’re all getting together this week to make signs.”

Yukhei’s eyes go wide. “What? Signs? Don’t do that. Who’s ‘we?’”

“Sorry, already know what mine is going to say,” Mark says loftily. “And “we” are Jungwoo, Jaehyun, Johnny and me. Oh, and I think Woo invited the guy he went out with last night, Doyoung or something.”

Yukhei wants to protest at the idea of five people waving signs with his name on it, but the fact that Mark has plans with his best friend makes Yukhei feels sort of warm and fluttery inside. “So the date went well? Every time I ask him he just sends back a bunch of eggplant emojis.”

Mark snorts, laughing. “Excellent. Yeah, he said they hit it off super well. They didn’t even have sex, he’s just messing with you.”

“Sounds like Jungwoo,” Yukhei says, rolling his eyes. “My mom won’t know what to do now that we’re both seeing other people, she’s been planning our wedding since we were twelve.”

Mark perks up at that, eyes curious. “Oh, does she know about us now?” It’s not accusatory, not weighted in any negative way, but it still makes Yukhei feel guilty. He should have mentioned it to his parents by now. Should have gone tripping over himself to tell them, head over heels, the first time he met Mark in the library. Isn’t that what people do with their parents? It’s what Mark did, Yukhei has already had Sunday brunch with the Lees, has already heard from Mark’s dad that he’s the new favourite, to Mark’s vocal protests.

“Hey. I can hear you thinking,” Mark says softly. “You don’t have the same relationship with your parents, you don’t need to feel guilty. Not everyone talks to them about stuff like that.”

“I’ve already met your mom and dad,” Yukhei points out with a sigh.

“Yeah well, they live in town. You just happened to be over when they offered to take me out for food,” Mark says, leaning in to kiss Yukhei softly. “You can’t beat yourself up about this, Yuk. I know you weren’t hiding me from them, and now it’s not a problem anymore anyway.” He kisses him again, slower, deeper. Like he’s trying to reassure Yukhei that everything is really okay. “Do you believe me when I say I’m not upset?” he asks softly, hands cupping Yukhei’s face.

“Yeah,” Yukhei breathes softly, chasing Mark’s lips with his own. “Yeah, I believe you.”

“Good,” Mark murmurs, running his thumb over Yukhei’s bottom lip. “Stop letting this eat you up inside when I’m right here telling you it’s okay. Okay?”

Once more it strikes Yukhei that Mark could literally ask him for anything and he would bend over backwards to do it. He nods, eyes a bit dazed as they meet Mark’s. “Yeah. I’ll let it go.”

“Good boy,” Mark says softly, lips curling into a wicked grin as Yukhei shivers at the praise. “Now. I can’t have my boy feeling all miserable, can I? Come on, let’s go fuck around until you feel better.”

Yukhei gets to his feet so fast that Mark yelps as he’s hoisted in the air, legs wrapping around Yukhei’s waist as he’s carried into the bedroom, Overwatch forgotten.

-

December means it’s finally cool enough to whip out sweaters and jeans, the air as cold as it’s ever going to get in this part of the country. Mark looks particularly adorable in an oversized gray cardigan with his glasses perched on his nose, clutching a coffee in one hand and Yukhei’s arm in the other. “I can’t believe you let me stay up that late,” he whines, stumbling slightly as they walk through campus towards the library. They both have studying to do for their finals, and while Mark isn’t officially Yukhei’s tutor anymore, he’s damn good at making sure they both stay on task.

“I tried,” Yukhei protests, eyes wide. “You told me you like World of Warcraft more than me and locked the bedroom door!”

Mark lets out a small “hmph,” glaring into the distance. “You should have carried me away from the computer and physically put me into bed.”

“And ended up either dead or single? Yeah no, not my hill to die on,” Yukhei laughs. He removes his hand from Mark’s, instead looping it around his slim shoulders and giving him a little squeeze. “You do need to give it a rest until your finals are over, though. You can’t go into your exams this tired.”

“I can and I probably will,” Mark protests.

“I should probably go back to my dorm for finals week,” Yukhei says reluctantly. “So we can get shit done without distracting each other.”

“Like hell you will,” Mark counters. He leans his head on Yukhei’s shoulder, not the most comfortable way to walk, but apparently the physical proximity is more important to him. “Have you figured out what you’re doing for the holiday yet?”

Yukhei has done everything within his power to not think about Christmas. He’s going to have to see his parents, he’s sure of it. With a visit home will come all sorts of questions about Mark, and then the truth will finally be revealed.

There had been a brief period of time where Yukhei had been convinced it might be fine, that they might take it better than he hoped. Then he mentioned Jungwoo’s shiny new beta boyfriend. His mother had gone on an hour long tirade about the importance of nature and the sacred bond of an alpha and omega, and with every word Yukhei had felt his stomach twist into knots. So she still doesn’t know about Mark being a beta. And Mark doesn’t know that she doesn’t know about Mark being a beta. And Yukhei feels like shit about that.

He doesn’t really even know what’s keeping it all locked up inside of him. He just...doesn’t want to worry Mark. Doesn’t want him to feel less than; like Yukhei could in any way, shape or form look down on him. He doesn’t want to seem like he agrees with his parents’ prejudices. So he keeps it locked up, keeps it buried inside to be dealt with later.

“I...have not,” he says finally. “I’ll probably stay here. I really don’t feel like flying back to Hong Kong, tickets will be way too expensive this close to Christmas anyway. I don’t want them to have to pay crazy amounts just to see me.”

Mark thinks this over for a minute before shrugging. “Well...you could always come to Christmas dinner with my family,” he says hopefully, cheeks pink. “My parents really like you. They’d be happy to have you over.” He looks down, playing with the paper sleeve wrapped around his coffee cup. It’s decorated in little holly berries, Starbucks’ annual attempt at not pissing off anyone of any specific religion. “And, you know. Just pack a bag and stay with me over break, the dorms will be dead anyway.”

Yukhei is staring at him with wide eyes. “Spend Christmas together?” he asks, a slow smile dawning on his face.

“I mean, unless it’s a dumb idea. You probably want to—mmf!”

Yukhei pulls Mark into a firm kiss, long arms wrapped tight around his tiny boyfriend. “Fuck yeah I’ll stay with you,” he says, beaming. “Can we decorate a tree?” He gasps, eyes going wide. “Can we make cookies?”

Mark laughs, trying to get his feet back on the ground despite the way Yukhei has hoisted him up. “Yes! Put me down, I’m going to spill my coffee!”

“And then you’ll break up with me for sure,” Yukhei laughs, setting Mark back on his feet. “Oh fuck this is going to be so fun. We can decorate your balcony with lights and shit!”

“Whoa there, Speed Racer,” Mark grins, holding the door for Yukhei before following him into the library. “Tutoring doesn’t make me that much money.”

“Babe, I got it,” Yukhei laughs. In his wallet is a shiny black card that his parents pay off for him, despite the blandness of his dorm room he’s never really hurting for cash. “Don’t even worry about it. Consider it my rent, since I’m crashing with you!”

The library is packed, the looming presence of final exams forcing everyone out of their cozy homes to study. The Starbucks at the entrance has a line that practically reaches the front door, and a mass of frenzied looking students are rushing around with piles of books in their arms. Yukhei lets out a low whistle, eyebrows raised. “Damn. I didn’t even think of how busy it would be.”

“People leave stuff until the last minute,” Mark says with a shrug. “Which floor do you want to go to?”

Their campus library follows the unspoken rule that the higher the floor you go to, the quieter it has to be. Here on the first floor it’s a madhouse, especially with the cafe constantly drawing visitors from around campus. The fourth floor is mandatory silence, if they end up there they’ll have to communicate through notes passed back and forth.

“Let’s go to three,” Yukhei suggests. “We can talk but it won’t be insane.”

It’s easy enough to find a table on the third floor, seeing as most students usually stick to one or four. Yukhei grabs them a spot, taking a seat across from Mark and starting to pull books out of his bag. “What are you starting with?”

“Your essays,” Mark says, pushing his glasses back up. “Let me get those done so you don’t have to wait around for me.” He grins when Yukhei slides him the stacks of paper, grabbing a highlighter. “I still can’t believe how much better you’ve gotten.”

“Yeah, well. I had a hot tutor teach me some things,” Yukhei laughs, pulling out his phone. He pulls up his mail and starts to open a new message, all ready to tell his mom he’s staying on campus for break, when he notices that she’s already sent him something.

**From: Mom  
Subject: Christmas?**

_Hello love!_

_We watched your game on TV yesterday! Buying that college sports network package was a wonderful idea, it’s so exciting getting to see you on the big screen! We’re still hoping we’ll be able to make it over there before the season ends, we really want to cheer you on in person._

_About Christmas honey, it looks like we’re not going to be in town for you to come visit. Your father has business we’ll be traveling for, and your brother is going on a ski trip with his school. I’m so sorry, I know this is short notice and I really hope you weren’t already looking at flights. I promise, we’ll buy you tickets to come home in the spring, alright?_

_Besides, you’ve got a cute little omega to spend time with, I’m sure you’ll be just fine. ;)_

_That’s a winky face, isn’t that cute?_

_Kisses,  
Mom_

“Huh.”

Mark looks up from the essay he’s looking over, eyebrows raised. “Huh what?”

“I was about to tell my mom that I’m staying here for Christmas, but it looks like I won’t have to. She and my dad are traveling anyway.” The small pit of guilt over not correcting his mother about Mark’s designation is overshadowed by the bright, burning joy of not having to let her down about Christmas. He wasn’t expecting it to go well, now he doesn’t have to worry about it. Score.

Mark laughs, shaking his head. “I feel like I should be terrified of your mother,” he teases. “Because you clearly are.”

Yukhei shivers. “I absolutely am. My mom loves me, but there’s a list of probably six or seven things that she would disown me in a heartbeat for.”

Mark snorts, rolling his eyes. “Okay, dramatic.”

It’s clear that he doesn’t get it. Yukhei needs him to get it. “They’re...really into status,” he says. It looks like Mark is about to say something in return, but he must see something in Yukhei’s eyes because whatever comment he was about to make dies on his tongue. “Divorce is one of them, actually. My cousin divorced her first husband because he was abusive, right? They don’t talk to her. Mom says all the time that she should have tried harder to make it work.”

“Jesus,” Mark breathes. He’s silent for a moment before asking, “You said they...don’t like betas?”

“No no, they like betas fine,” Yukhei says quickly. “They just don’t uh...think alphas should settle down with them.” Something close to hurt flashes through Mark’s eyes, and in that moment Yukhei manages to mentally justify hiding the extent of his mother’s judgement from him. He reaches across the table, taking Mark’s hand and giving a firm squeeze. “Dude, what’s with the sad face? We’re here, right? It’s you and me, who cares what everyone else thinks?”

Mark laughs weakly. “No, I know. It’s just...sometimes you feel so replaceable, being a beta. Like...you’re just the null gender, like nature somehow just forgot about you. It sucks to hear that people think I’m not worthy of being with whoever I want to be with because of it.”

He looks down, but after a moment a grin flashes across his face. “But it’s okay, right? Because clearly she’s okay with us. She must be getting over whatever it is she feels about betas, and hopefully your dad is too.”

Holt, molten guilt fills Yukhei’s stomach, so tangible that he thinks he might be sick. He distracts himself by grabbing Mark’s hands, bringing them to his lips to kiss his knuckles. “Yeah. Yeah, hopefully,” he manages, deciding it’s time to figure out what he’s going to do about this whole mess.

-

Yukhei is supposed to be packing.

“Yukhei, you’re supposed to be packing,” Mark near-squeals from his place underneath him, pinned to Yukhei’s mattress with his hands held above his head. He’s laughing, eyes bright, and even though he keeps trying to remind Yukhei of their intended task he’s not putting up much of a fight.

“It’s not like we’re on a tight schedule here,” Yukhei grins, nibbling under Mark’s jaw. He smirks when Mark shivers, soothing his skin with a slow swipe of his tongue. “Come on, we’ve never fucked in my dorm before, we’ve got to break my bed in!”

Mark snorts, laughing and trying to break out of his hold. “We never fuck in your dorm because your roommate never leaves,” he reminds him, grinning. “Besides, why would we fuck here when I have my own damn apartment?”

Yukhei hums, really only half listening. He’s too busy pressing slow, wet kisses along Mark’s throat, stopping to suck teasingly at his Adam’s apple. “Fair, I guess,” he mumbles. “How about, let’s fuck because it’s fun and we can? Is that a better reason?”

“Yukhei…”

“Your apartment is ten minutes away, it’s not like I can’t come back if I forgot something,” Yukhei reasons. His hands slip to the hem of Mark’s shirt, pushing it up and up and up until it’s bunched under his armpits. “You look so hot right now babe, I can’t resist you…”

Mark bites his lip, squirming. “You are such an alpha,” he teases. “Just taking what you want.”

Yukhei looks up, smirking as he narrows his eyes. “Don’t act like you don’t like it when I throw you around, pretty little beta.”

Mark shivers, and Yukhei knows he’s won. They meet in a clash of lips, hands scrambling as they pull and press and grope at each other’s body. Yukhei’s got his hand halfway down Mark’s still-buttoned pants when there’s a sudden sharp knock at the door, pulling them out of the moment.

“Just ignore it, they’ll go away,” Mark whispers, panting.

Yukhei nods, dutifully leaving his hand down Mark’s jeans. They wait for a long moment, and are just about to pick up where they left off when there’s another knock.

“Xuxi baby, are you in there? It’s mom!”

Time slows to an agonizing standstill and Yukhei’s heart nearly stops dead. He whips around to stare at the door as if it might somehow burst open on its own, like some horrible monster is waiting just behind to attack. He must completely space out because Mark has to grab his hand and physically pull it from his pants, shaking Yukhei’s arm with concern on his face.

“Babe? Babe! Holy shit Yukhei are you okay?” He snaps his fingers in front of Yukhei’s face, eyes wide. “Hello, earth to Yukhei?”

Yukhei finally shakes himself out of his stupor, swallowing hard. “Did she just say...is that…”

Mark is clearly worried by his response, stroking a gentle hand up and down Yukhei’s back. “Go get the door. It’s okay.”

The twenty steps from the side of his bed to the door feel like walking to an execution chamber. Yukhei looks back at Mark who gives him a weak smile, obviously confused be his reaction. He draws a shaking breath, grabbing the handle and opening the door.

“Baby!”

He finds himself pulled tightly into the arms of his mother, a small but formidable woman with wide eyes and salt-and-pepper hair cut into a severe bob. It’s muscle memory to hug her back. He holds tightly to her, a stunned expression stuck on his face.

“Mom?” he rasps, standing up to look down at her. Even with their height difference she seems to tower, making him feel like a child. “What are you doing here?”

She claps her hands, pushing past him into the dorm. “I wasn’t lying, your father did have a business trip. I thought I’d surprise you for Christmas, spend some time with you while he’s working. Finally meet this Mark I’ve heard so much about,” she teases, lightly pinching his side. “Isn’t that lovely?”

She turns, finally seeming to notice that they’re not alone. “Oh, I’m so sorry sweetheart,” she says, walking over to offer her hand. “I didn’t even see you there. And you are?”

“I’m...Mark,” he offers with a small laugh, blushing as he shakes her hand.

Mrs. Wong looks surprised before a warm smile blooms on her face. “So many Marks! This is like when we lived in Seattle for a few years and there were six Daniels in Yukhei’s primary school class. That’s alright, that’s what scents are for, isn’t it? I’ll be able to tell everyone apart in no time.”

Mark looks vaguely confused. “How many Marks? Huh?”

“Oh, you must know Yukhei’s Mark, right?” she beams, as if she’s already met this imaginary omega and accepted him into the family. “I don’t know much but I can’t wait to meet him, I’m sure he’s just the sweetest little omega.”

Yukhei rushes from where he’s been frozen at the door, eyes wide. “Mom, no. There’s no other Mark. This is my Mark. _Mark_ Mark. Mark Lee?” he babbles quickly, glancing at Mark’s face just in time to catch the confusion clouding his features. “How did you even get in here? The keys are electronic.”

“I told the sweet girl smoking outside that I was here to surprise my son,” Mrs. Wong says slowly, looking from Yukhei to Mark to Yukhei again. "So...this is your Mark?"

"This is my Mark," Yukhei says, laughing nervously.

This isn't how this is supposed to be. He's not supposed to be afraid of introducing his boyfriend to his parents, he should get to celebrate this moment. Show Mark off, watch as everyone coos and preens over him. Instead he watches his mother take a deep breath, scenting the room, face falling.

"Mark, sweetie, do you mind if I ask—"

"Yukhei, did you tell your mom that I'm an omega?" Mark asks, voice cutting through Mrs. Wong's soft words. He looks from Yukhei to Yukhei’s mother, offering a mirthless smile. "Because I'm not. I'm a beta. I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding, Mrs. Wong." He turns back to Yukhei, lips pressed into a firm line. "Did you?"

"I didn't," Yukhei says, sharp and panicked. "I just...didn't tell her you're a beta, or correct her when she assumed."

Mark deflates, and the wounded look on his face is the worst thing Yukhei has ever seen. He wants to pull his boyfriend into his arms, grovel, maybe buy him a new PS4 or something to try and win his forgiveness. He wants to make this right.

Unfortunately his mother is starting to clue in, and that's not going to go well for anyone involved.

"Wong Yukhei, if you've been lying to me—"

"Mom please," Yukhei begs, eyes still on Mark. Mark is meeting his gaze, but for once Yukhei can't read his expression. He's closed off. Shut down. "Mom, just...let us talk for a second and then I'll explain everything. Please?"

His mother gasps at the suggestion. "I flew here from Hong Kong, Xuxi."

"You know what? It's fine," Mark says, laughing dully. "I'd hate to get in the way. Just. Enjoy your time together." He snatches his hoodie off of the other bed, slipping into his Vans as he heads to the door. When Yukhei tries to grab his hand he dodges easily, head down as he stalks past.

"Mark, wait, please!"

Mark looks over his shoulder, eyebrows knit together. "Maybe you should just stay here for break, Yukhei. God forbid anyone knows you're with a beta."

The door slams behind him.

-

"—you just can't know, the way you would with an omega. Honey, I can't put it into words but it's so important, that _feeling_ you get. It's like a piece of yourself is sliding into place—"

The middle of a crowded Olive Garden is the last place Yukhei wants to have this conversation. All around him people are laughing and enjoying their time with their families, jaunty Italian Christmas carols playing over the speakers as people eat. Yukhei hasn't touched his food. The plate of ravioli is going cold in front of him while across the table his mother rambles on and on.

Underneath the table he thumbs his passcode into his phone, pulling up his conversation with Mark.

_Yukhei: mark i'm so so so sorry_  
Yukhei: i can explain everything, i promise  
Yukhei: not that there's a good reason for any of it but i need to tell you everything and apologize  
Yukhei: mark?  
Yukhei: babe please please talk to me 

He watches with dread as, one by one, each message is read and then ignored. There's a really brief, terrible moment where Yukhei thinks he might cry. It's not something he's done in years, not since the time he broke his arm falling out of his bedroom window when he was twelve; but fuck, if this doesn't hurt ten times worse.

Looking up, he finally refocuses on his mother, still halfway through her tirade.

"Oh, Yukhei," she sighs, reaching across the table to pat his cheek. "Honey, I know it's hard now but you'll be okay. I have a friend who's daughter is single, I should actually give you her number. She's—"

"Mom, no."

Mrs. Wong looks up, surprised. "Alright, no daughters. What about Jungwoo? He'll get over his own silly infatuation soon enough."

"Jungwoo knows Mark. He likes him a lot," Yukhei whispers, voice hoarse. "He keeps going on about how happy he is that I found my person, that I've met someone who I..." He trails off, looking away. "I really, really hurt him. I didn't want to hurt him, I was trying to protect him. From exactly what happened."

He thinks of the past few months, how fucking _good_ they've been together. He thinks of the first time he met Mark in the library, his smile bright and his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. He thinks of spending Christmas together, and how up in the air everything feels right now. It was supposed to be perfect. They already bought everything they needed to decorate the apartment, the ingredients for gingerbread men waiting at the ready in Mark's pantry. That's the life he wants. Not whatever bullshit life he'd been living until he started failing English Theory.

Yukhei's phone buzzes, and for a brief moment his heart leaps into his chest as he assumes Mark has texted him back. Instead he sees Jungwoo's face grinning up from his phone, the same photo that's been set as his contact card for the last three years.

_Woo: Wong Yukhei what the hell did you do?_  
Woo: Like. I know your parents are batshit but Mark is beside himself.  
Woo: Part of me wants to come kick your ass, but the rest of me knows you're going through it right now. Do you need a save? 

Yukhei swallows hard, fingers shaking as he taps out a response.

_Yukhei: i fucked up so bad and i don't know what to do_  
Yukhei: i thought i was protecting him from my family shit but i just made it worse  
Yukhei: and now he thinks i'm ashamed of him?  
Yukhei: fuck fuck fuck i wish you were here 

_Woo: I don’t, your mom is nuts._  
Woo: You need to go fix this. Go to Mark, apologize, explain yourself.  
Woo: It's time to make a choice. Who are you living your life for, Xuxi? 

It's an excellent question, one that he's never been able to answer properly. The answer is right there, though. It's been right there for months.

He wants gingerbread men that they'll end up decorating to look like characters from shitty eighties horror movies. He wants Mark to teach him how to ice skate. He wants a kiss at midnight on New Year's Eve. He wants a sign in the stadium that reads "#84 IS AN A+ BALL HANDLER" with Mark looking pleased with himself as he waves it around. He wants a bite mark on his neck that matches the one on Mark's.

He wants Mark.

Something odd happens as Yukhei puts his phone back in his pocket. He feels...calm. At peace. His hands have stopped shaking and his eyes aren't watering anymore, and as he looks up at his mother he doesn't feel so afraid. It's a first, and he's got to act on it before the feeling fades.

"Mom," he says slowly, resting his palms on the table. "I'm going to say something, and you're going to listen to me. For once in your god damn life, just listen."

Mrs. Wong pauses, a bite of fettuccine halfway to her lips. "What?"

Yukhei takes a deep breath, forcing himself to look her in the eye. "I'm not leaving Mark. If I get lucky and he forgives me then I plan on us being together for a long time. Forever, if things work out the way I hope they do. Like...I know it’s early but I want him to be my mate. And I don't care about nature or two halves of a whole or whatever bullshit you and dad always go on about, I don't care what his designation is. He's my best friend and I...I love him. And I'm not giving up on that because it's what you want."

His mother bristles, putting her fork down. "Yukhei, I can't promise that we'll support you if that's the choice you make. You've had it very easy for a very long time, and if you want to continue—"

"So you're threatening me," Yukhei says firmly. "Just so I know what's on the table, exactly what you’re saying. You'll cut me off if I don't do exactly what you want me to do."

Mrs. Wong presses her lips together, nostrils flaring. She doesn't respond.

“You’ll turn your back on your son, your flesh and blood, because he won’t live under your thumb,” he continues, eyes narrow as he leans across the table.

Still, his mother doesn’t say a word to deny the accusation. 

"Cool," Yukhei nods, that strange sense of peace carrying him up and out of his seat. He stands, smoothing his shirt out with his palms. "Well. Good visit mom." Pulling his wallet from his back pocket, he takes out the card that he's been living off of for years now and tosses it in front of her. "But I...I choose him. Merry Christmas."

Wong Yukhei feels like a badass in a movie scene as he walks out of the restaurant, leaving his mother spluttering behind him.

That calm sense of cool immediately fades the moment the restaurant doors swing shut behind him. The noise they make snapping closed pulls him back to reality, reminding him that he’s just an idiot who broke his boyfriend’s heart standing outside of an Olive Garden with no plan. Thanks to his random act of rebellion he’s also got no credit card, no way of paying for a taxi to take him to Mark’s place.

So he starts running.

At first the cold air stings his lungs, each breath burning inside of him as he jogs towards Mark’s area of town. He’s not terribly far. Not exactly walking distance, but he’s young and healthy and in love and god damn it he’s going to do what he has to. So he runs, and he runs, and he runs, and he keeps running even when he’s got a wicked stitch in his side and he’s panting for breath.

It takes him twenty minutes of non-stop running, but he makes it. With shaking hands he tries to open the door, which is when he remembers that you need a key card to gain entrance.

“Fuck,” he chokes, resting his head against the glass of the door. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“You okay dude?” Yukhei turns to see a man standing behind him, a look of vague concern on his face as he witnesses the beginnings of Yukhei’s breakdown. “Do you live here?” he asks, eyes wide.

Yukhei wants to say yes. It would be so easy to say yes. Thing is, lying got him here in the first place, and he’s not falling back on that shit again. “No, my...my boyfriend does,” he says weakly. “I fucked up and I’m trying to make a grand apology and pour my heart out and admit that I love him but I can’t...I can’t _do_ that without a keycard _fuck_.”

The guy sighs, shaking his head. “Man, chill. I don’t want the karma of getting in the way of true love on my shoulders.” He swipes his own card, grabbing the door when it beeps and opening it for Yukhei. “Go, fall at his feet my dude, win your boy back.”

Yukhei rests his hands on the stranger’s shoulders, eyes sincere. “I’ll never be able to thank you for this, my friend.” Without waiting for a response he turns and runs for the stairs, not enough patience left in him to wait for an elevator. When he reaches Mark’s door he knocks urgently, heart racing in his chest.

Mark’s definitely home. Light is leaking through from under the door, and the telltale sounds of Overwatch are chiming in the distance. Yukhei knocks again, swallowing hard. “Mark, please,” he calls, trying to keep his breathing even. “Please, I just want to talk. Let me talk to you for ten minutes and then I’ll leave you alone, I promise.”

More silence. More waiting. And then, finally, the door opens a crack.

Mark peers through the small sliver he’s allowed, eyebrows knit together and lips pursed. He takes in the state of Yukhei, his ruffled close, his heaving chest. “Did you...run here?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Didn’t have money for a taxi,” Yukhei responds. “Mark, please. I’ll beg if I have to. I’m just...I _need_ to explain.”

Mark continues to stare, clearly trying to decide what he wants to do. Finally he steps back, opening the door. “You have ten minutes.”

A weight lifts off of Yukhei’s chest as he walks into the apartment, stepping out of his sneakers and heading into the living room. He waits for Mark to sit before doing the same. Every nerve inside of him is screaming at him to pull Mark close; he’s so desperate to soothe him, hold him, kiss him until it’s okay. But Yukhei can’t do that just yet. He needs to earn that right back. So he sits on the other end of the couch, hands folded in his lap, and waits.

“Alright,” Mark mutters, folding his arms. “Go ahead and tell me why your mother thought I was an omega.”

Yukhei takes another deep breath before speaking. “Mark, I didn’t tell her you were an omega. I know not telling her you’re a beta isn’t much better, but I do need you to know that I never tried to pass you off as an omega.”

“But how is that any better? You hid it,” Mark says, and there are tears in his eyes, and that fucking sucks. “You told me that I should be proud of who I am, that I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. How am I supposed to feel when the guy giving that speech is the one most ashamed to be with a beta?”

“I’m not ashamed,” Yukhei says, unable to control the passion seeping into his voice. “I’m so fucking proud to be with you.” He takes a shaking breath, looking down. “I’m ashamed of them. I wasn’t protecting them from you, I was trying to protect you from all of their bullshit. Which wasn’t my place. I just...thought that if I waited a little longer, pushed it a little further, I’d come up with some miracle way to make it all work out.”

“And how did that work out for you?” Mark asks bitterly.

“Uh...not well,” Yukhei says, giving a hollow laugh. “I walked out on my mom promising to disown me if I stayed with a beta. I told her I’d pick the man I love any day of the week, left my credit card with her and walked out.”

If Mark was preparing a snappy comeback he immediately loses it at Yukhei’s words. “I’m sorry, the man you what?”

Yukhei doubles down. “I fucking love you, Mark. I think I loved you the moment I met you. If she wants to disown me then she can. I can figure out how to be poor, it’s fine. What I can’t figure out is how to be happy without you.”

Mark rubs his hands over his face, sighing. “That’s not fair. You don’t get to make me feel like that and try and-and just, just wash it all away by saying that.”

“I love you Mark,” Yukhei says, sliding closer. “I’m in love with you. Like...I know we haven’t been together that long but if you wanted to bite me tonight? Mark me as yours without promising anything in return? Fuck, here’s my neck,” he chokes. “I don’t need them. I need you. I’m happy with you.”

“Yukhei,” Mark repeats, looking helpless.

“Mark, give me another chance,” Yukhei asks. He slides to his knees in front of Mark, taking his hands, clinging to him for dear life. “I’ll earn it. I swear, I won’t fuck up again.”

Mark looks down at their hands, chewing on his lip until it’s chapped and red. “It’s not about begging. It’s about understanding that you really fucked up, that you made me feel unimportant.”

“Trust me,” Yukhei whispers. “Trust me, I know that I hurt you, and I know that it’s the worst thing I’ve ever done.”

Markis silent for a moment, closing his eyes as he tries to collect his thoughts. When he opens them again he looks...tired. Tired, but a little bit less melancholy. “Okay. Alright. Okay.”

Yukhei can feel hope swelling in his chest, bright and beautiful. “So…”

“I forgive you,” Mark chokes, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Yukhei’s. “And I love you too.”

They sit in silence for a while, just holding on to each other. After a few minutes Mark tugs Yukhei onto the couch, crawling into his lap and throwing his arms around Yukhei’s neck, trying to get as close as possible. “Did you really give her your credit card? What are you going to do?”

“Get a job, for one,” Yukhei says, laughing weakly. “My dorm is paid for until summer break so that’s fine, and my meal card will cover food. I might not have a phone plan for a few weeks but it’ll be okay, I can use Messenger and shit when I’m on wifi.”

“Jesus,” Mark breathes. “That was...ballsy, Yukhei.”

“I’ve gotta do at least one brave thing in my life, I guess,” Yukhei murmurs. When Mark pulls back to kiss him he sighs in relief, arms wrapped tight around his waist. They stay like that for quite some time, until Yukhei’s legs start to go numb and Mark has fallen asleep in his lap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be one more chapter after this one, thanks for following along so far!


	4. Chapter 4

Yukhei manages to survive the semester thanks to his meal card and a shitty job bartending that he picks up at Parliament House. It’s pretty seedy as far as gay bars go, but there are enough lonely rich gays coming in that he makes a decent amount in tips. Still, things are tight. He doesn’t have a lot of money for socializing and he’ll have to buy all of his books used in the fall but...he’s doing it. He’s making it on his own. Over the summer he’ll be able to save up enough to pay for what his scholarships don’t cover of his tuition, with just enough to get a little place somewhere close to campus.

“I figure if I find a little studio I’ll be fine,” he says on a random Tuesday afternoon, sprawled out on his back in Mark’s bed. There are only a few weeks left before they break for the summer, which means he won’t have the dorms to fall back on for much longer. “That, or check Craigslist to see if anyone is looking for a roommate. I’ll find something.”

Mark hums to acknowledge that he’s listening. He’s sprawled out perpendicular across Yukhei’s stomach, his feet sticking off the side of the matress, skin glowing golden in the sunlight that streams in through the windows. “You could do that. I guess.”

His reaction is weird. Mark is usually the one to sit up with wide eyes to give his enthusiastic support to anything Yukhei does, so an “I guess” is definitely weird. Yukhei tilts his head up to look down at him, poking his side. “What’s up?”

“Nothing’s up,” Mark says, swatting at his hand. “I’m just thinking.”

Yukhei is silent, waiting for him to continue. He doesn’t. “Should I...start asking yes or no questions? Do you want to share with the class?”

Mark sits up, a look of concentration on his face. “I mean...you _could_ move in with some random stranger, I guess. Even though there’s a better option right in front of your face. Like, literally right in front of your face. I’m all of two feet away from you.”

Yeah, it’s kind of obvious what he’s hinting at, but Yukhei is afraid to make any assumptions. He’s notorious for running into things headfirst, he needs to make sure. It’ll be humiliating if he’s wrong. “Mark, if you’re saying what I think you’re saying you have to...be more direct,” he says slowly. “Because I can’t assume you’re asking what you’re asking.”

Mark snorts, though the look of frustration on his face quickly turns to laughter as his cheeks turn pink. “Just move in with me,” he says, looking up at Yukhei from under his eyelashes. “We’ve been together for like, a hot second now. You’re pretty much always here anyway. Why don’t we make it official?”

He suddenly finds himself dragged across the bed, into a beaming Yukhei’s lap. “Yeah? You think you can deal with me stealing all of the blankets on a nightly basis?” Yukhei asks, kissing him softly.

“I already do,” Mark snorts, squirming. “You haven’t slept at your dorm in three weeks.”

“Why would I? My cute boyfriend is in a different part of town,” Yukhei coos, nipping at his cheek. “You’re sure about this, right? Cause like...I am so fucking ready to cohabitate. I’ve been ready since our second tutoring session.”

“Trust me, I know,” Mark smirks. “And yeah, I’m totally sure. I love you, man. I want you to be here all the time.”

Yukhei pulls Mark into a tender kiss, and they spend a few minutes holding each other close and murmuring endearments each time they come up for air. Yukhei lays Mark gently on his back, curling up next to him with a completely moonstruck look on his face. “You’re the coolest, Mark Lee,” he sighs, rubbing his palm over Mark’s stomach. “You’re my favourite.”

“You’re mine,” Mark says, grinning and trying not to squirm as Yukhei’s fingertips tickle over his skin. “There’s something else we need to talk about if you’re going to move in.”

Yukhei props himself up on his elbow, looking down at Mark’s thoughtful face. “What’s that?”

Mark shifts slightly to grab his phone from the night table, opening the calendar and scrolling through the month. “Yeah, so you’re due to hit your rut like, the week after you’d be moving out of the dorms,” he points out. “So if you still don’t want me around during you need to figure out what you’re going to do instead.”

Shit. Yukhei hadn’t realized it was so close. He buries his face in Mark’s shoulder, groaning. “Curse my biology.”

A small hand finds its way to his hair, lightly carding through, stroking along his scalp. It feels heavenly. Yukhei lets the sudden tension drain from his body, melting into Mark’s embrace. 

“Why are you so afraid of letting me help you?” Mark coos, tugging gently at his hair. “I want to. I know you want me to. So what’s holding you back?”

Yukhei bites his lip, hand finding its way underneath Mark’s shirt. The touch isn’t sexual; more than anything he just wants the warmth of Mark’s skin against his own, soothing him as he tries to explain himself. “I just...worry about you,” he mutters. “I get pushy. Sometimes I blank out and my body just...takes control of my brain. You’re so _small_ Marky, what if I hurt you?”

“Then we take precautions to make sure you don’t,” Mark soothes, hand wandering down to massage the back of Yukhei’s neck. “I’m not as breakable as you think, Wong Yukhei. If anything you’re the one always trying to keep up with me.” His voice is teasing, but he’s not wrong.

Yukhei snorts, shaking his head. “You’re a wild little dude, you know that?”

“I’ve been told,” Mark hums. “So why don’t we try it? And if it goes disastrously fucking wrong we don’t do it again.” He uses his hand to tilt Yukhei’s face towards him, leaning in for another kiss. “I love you. I want to do this for you. And for me. Will you please let me?”

It’s tempting. It’s so fucking tempting. The idea of having someone to see him through his rut, someone to feed the hunger he feels so strongly...and not just anyone. Mark. Mark fucking Lee, the coolest person he’s ever met. The love of his life. Yukhei closes his eyes and breathes in the marksmell, which he’s learned is Old Spice body wash and some fancy Hermes cologne his parents got him for his birthday last year. He breathes in deep and lets himself really picture what it would be like.

“Okay,” he says after a moment, looking up to meet Mark’s eyes. “Let’s fucking do it.”

-

Moving day is surprisingly pain-free thanks to Johnny, Jaehyun, Jungwoo and Doyoung all offering to pitch in. More than anything it’s nice to spend more time with Doyoung. He’s a cool guy (if not a little type A), and the way he dotes on Jungwoo makes Yukhei feel warm and cozy in a way he can’t quite explain.

“It’s because you know your best friend is happy,” Mark points out, ruffling Yukhei’s hair as they head back down to unload more boxes from Doyoung’s hatchback. “They’re good for each other, so you know you don’t have to worry.”

“Maybe,” Yukhei says. “Maybe I just like him because he bought a shit ton of beer for tonight.”

“Or that,” Mark laughs, shaking his head.

Everything goes fairly quickly. Yukhei doesn’t really have that much stuff to move, it’s not like he has a full apartment of things. Just one half of a relatively small dorm room, which makes it easy to clear everything out and shuffle it all to Mark’s place.

Mark’s place. Mark and Yukhei’s place. _Their_ place.

They celebrate that night with pizza and beer and a rowdy Mario Kart competition that ends in Mark victoriously parading around the living room, waving like he’s Kate Middleton. It’s adorable. Yukhei loves him with all his fucking heart. He loves all of them, every single person sitting in this room, his little found family that’s made the past few months bearable, despite everything.

Still, he’s really fucking glad when everyone goes home for the night.

“You okay?” Mark asks as they bring pizza boxes down to the recycling bins, committed to cleaning up some of the mess left behind before going to bed. Single Yukhei would leave it all for the next morning, maybe longer. Living-with-Mark Yukhei is dedicated to showing he can be a grownup. “You look a little flushed.”

“I feel a little flushed,” Yukhei admits, opening one of the dumpsters and chucking in the black bags he’s been carrying. “My ruts starting.”

Mark immediately goes wide-eyed, shoving the pizza boxes in the cardboard bin before turning back to him. “Are you okay? What do you need? Should we get you in a cold shower? Shit, I thought we had another day or two.”

Yukhei laughs, putting his hand on the small of Mark’s back and guiding him back into the building. “Relax,” he says, words sluggish, limbs a bit heavy. “It takes a while to really set in. I’m just...hot. I feel sort of shitty, like I’m coming down with something. It’ll be tomorrow before shit gets real.”

“Okay,” Mark breathes, eyes still wide. For how hard he worked to sell the idea of helping Yukhei through this, he’s obviously nervous as hell.

“Are you still sure you want to do this?” Yukhei asks as they walk upstairs. With his senses heightened he can pick up something under the marksmell, something that smells a little bit like toasted marshmallows and _home_. “It’s not a huge deal if you don’t. I can find somewhere to stay tonight, I’ll just come back in a few days.”

“No,” Mark says firmly, stopping mid step to turn to Yukhei with a determined expression. His face looks dire in the dim light of the stairway. “No, I want to. I just...I just want to do it right. I want to give you everything you need.”

Yukhei grins, slow and sluggish. “You will, babe. You have no idea.” He reaches up to curl his hand around the nape of Mark’s neck, pulling him in for a languid kiss. It doesn’t take long for it to turn to something more frantic, and suddenly Mark is pressed tight to the wall, moaning and squirming as Yukhei’s much larger body pins him in place.

“We can’t fuck in a public thorofare,” Mark chokes out, breathless as his fingers dig into Yukhei’s shoulders. “We-we shouldn’t fuck period, not right now. You need me in good shape for tomorrow, right?”

“I’ll be gentle,” Yukhei breathes, pressing his hips forward so Mark can feel the erection straining against his jeans. “I’ll be so careful with you baby, I’ll treat you so, so good. Come on Marky, let me make you feel nice, hmm?”

He manages to get one more desperate kiss in before a hand threads in his hair, twisting into a fist and tugging sharply. He hisses as Mark pulls him off, a no-nonsense gleam in his eye. It’s not a look he’s seen on a beta before, and it makes Yukhei gasp as the fire in him burns a little bit hotter.

“Down, boy,” Mark pants, words firm. “Not yet. You’re going to go upstairs and take a cold shower, and then we’re going to watch Food Network until we go to bed. Understand?”

Yukhei whines and nods, the alpha inside of him trembling at being told no, being put in its place. “S-sounds good,” he stammers, swallowing hard. “Lead the way.”

Showering helps. The rush of cold water against his skin soothes some of the heat, and by the time he’s toweled off and dressed his head is clear and he feels human again. He pulls on a pair of boxers and nothing else, flopping on the couch and cuddling close to Mark. “Let me know if I get too warm,” he murmurs, resting his head on Mark’s thigh, jaw cracking on a wide yawn.

“You’re fine, it’s cold in here anyway,” Mark murmurs, petting a soothing hand over Yukhei’s hair. “Feel better?”

“Clearer,” Yukhei offers. “Still burning up, but that’ll be the next couple of days.” He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Jesus, my senses are so much stronger right now. I swear I can smell you.”

“Your head is on my leg, of course you can smell me,” Mark says, amused.

“No, like...you. I can smell your scent,” Yukhei sighs, content. “Like...a campfire. Marshmallows. Burnt sugar and wood smoke.” He feels Mark’s hand pause for a moment before resuming its motions, fingers parting and playing with his hair, gently stroking over the shell of his ear. “It’s nice.”

“Sounds nice,” Mark says, so much fondness in his voice that it makes Yukhei blush. “I sort of think your mind is playing tricks on you, but I like it.”

Yukhei smiles, lips pressing into Mark’s knee as he lets the gentle motions of his boyfriend’s hand lull him to sleep.

-

He wakes up to a hand stroking over his chest, his skin aflame.

“Yukhei, come on baby. Wake up,” Mark murmurs softly. Yukhei doesn’t know when, or how, but at some point in the night he ended up in bed. He slowly comes to with the sheets tangled around his legs and a pillow over his face. It takes some effort, but he resists the urge to set his teeth in the pillow and tear it apart. 

He shoves the pillow aside, blinking up at Mark with eyes clouded by fog. He swallows hard, hand immediately reaching out to grab Mark’s thigh, grip firm. “Mm. Times’it?” he asks, pushing himself to sit, kicking the sheets off of his legs.

“It’s almost eight,” Mark says, the cool touch of his hand a balm against Yukhei’s burning skin. “You’re so warm, babe. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Drink some water. Then we can come back to bed.” 

The idea of leaving the bed is potentially the worst one Yukhei’s ever heard. It’s too cozy, too soaked with their combined scents, a mountain of pillows and blankets and Mark’s yellow hoodie and Yukhei’s letterman jacket—

He blinks sluggishly, looking around. “Did you...make a nest?”

Mark blushes, ducking his head down. “I’ve uh...been up for a little while, it was too hot to fall back asleep. It’s what omegas do, right? Now it’ll smell more like me, even if I don’t have a real scent.”

Suddenly he finds himself pinned under Yukhei, his yelp turning into a drawn out moan as Yukhei’s tongue maps a trail over his jaw. “Babe. Fucking...fucking _Mark_,” he sighs, already hard underneath his grey sweatpants. Every instinct inside of him is telling him to get them naked, get inside of Mark _now_. “Your smell is the best fucking smell.” His teeth graze across Mark’s pulsepoint, lips closing over heated skin to suck a bruise high on Mark’s neck. “Let’s shower later, gotta fuck you now.”

Mark moans, squirming as Yukhei’s hands grope and paw at his thighs. “Nuh uh. We’re at least brushing our teeth first. That was my one rule, remember?”

Yukhei pauses, running his tongue along his teeth. The alpha inside insists that this is bullshit, but yeah, morning breath isn’t sexy. With a begrudging sigh he lets himself be pushed out of bed and in the direction of the bathroom, where he sort of stands there in a daze as Mark gets him cleaned up.

“I’m not brushing your teeth for you,” Mark laughs, though he does wet the toothbrush and add a healthy glob of Crest to the bristles. “Come on, you’re not as far gone as you’re pretending to be, you big baby.”

Yukhei huffs, though he does take the toothbrush and scrub his teeth until his mouth is clean and minty fresh. As soon as he’s spit and rinsed with cold water he’s back on Mark, large hands settling over his hips and squeezing firmly. “Come on,” he growls into the curve of Mark’s neck, voice low and rough. “We brushed, are you happy? Need you, _fuck_ Mark.”

“Okay, okay,” Mark agrees, starting to sound a little winded as he lets Yukhei push him back into the bedroom. He must have been up for quite some time before Yukhei, because everything is already set up just the way they’d planned a few days ago. There’s a brand new container of lube on the nightstand, towels and bottles of fresh water laid out, a few protein bars for later. The part of Yukhei that still has some sort of clarity feels warm and affectionate at Mark’s level of preparation. The rest of him is just ready to fuck.

Shaking fingers work to divest Mark of his pajamas, stripping off his boxers and tossing them across the room. Yukhei is about to peel his shirt away when he pauses, fingertips playing with the hem. It’s one of Yukhei’s own, Mark must have snitched it last night before they fell asleep. Yukhei hums, dragging his teeth over his bottom lip, lust curling hot and tight in his gut at the image of tiny, pretty Mark swimming in his own shirt.

“This stays on,” he decides before lifting Mark by the waist and tossing him on the bed.

“Oi!” Mark manages to squawk as he bounces on the mattress, legs falling apart and shirt rucking up to reveal his flat stomach and sharp hips. “Be careful with the goods!”

“Oh, I intend to,” Yukhei says, soft and low, as he crawls into bed. The predatory feeling he always has to fight during his rut is clawing its way to the surface, a desperate need to take, to claim. His hands rest on Mark’s thighs, kneading and pressing against the muscle as he realizes he _can_ take this time. Mark is all his.

Mark seems to realize that the rut is really settling in now, head lolling to the side in a careful act of submission. “Are you gonna fuck me, alpha? Make me take your knot?”

Yukhei can barely find the words to reply. Instead he leans down, eyes locked with Mark’s as he starts to trail hot, messy kisses along his hip and up his side. His lips curl into a dangerous grin as Mark starts to squirm, the hands on his thighs pressing down until there are sure to be bruises in the morning.

“Is that what you want?” Yukhei coos, deceptively sweet. “Do you want my knot, pretty baby?”

Mark’s eyes are heavy lidded as he watches Yukhei kiss his way to his nipple, taking the bud between his lips and sucking gently. He lets out a soft huff of breath, crooking his knees and resting his feet flat on the mattress to cradle Yukhei between his thighs. “Want it, Yukhei _please_,” he murmurs, licking his lips. 

Yukhei is drowning in the warmth of Mark’s body underneath him. He ruts down with a ragged moan, breath coming out in short bursts. “Gotta...gotta turn you over…”

“Yeah, yeah, please,” Mark begs, grinding up against him. He’s already leaking precome, thick droplets sliding down his length and slicking the way as they rut together. Part of Yukhei wants to lick it up, to lap at the mess and fill his senses with the sweet taste of Mark’s excitement. The rest of him needs to shove his knot in a tight hole, and that feels more pressing at this moment in time. 

It takes a few deep breaths before Yukhei can tear himself away, grabbing Mark by the hips and flipping him bodily. Mark cries out as he’s manhandled, fingers scrabbling to twist in the sheets. “Fucking hurry,” he begs, pushing up on his knees. His legs slide apart, thighs spread wide, muscles trembling. Yukhei wants to eat him alive. 

“Pretty pretty beta,” he growls, trailing kisses along Mark’s lower back. “Let’s get you nice and wet, okay?” His hands, so fucking big against Mark’s heated skin, palm at his ass before spreading him open. With a wicked fire in his eyes he lets his saliva collect on his tongue before spitting it onto Mark’s waiting hole.

“Yukhei, I-oh!” Mark sucks in a gasp as a persistent tongue licks over his entrance, lapping at the tight furl of muscle before rubbing lightly in small circles over the rim. He chokes out a moan and arches his back, presenting himself, silently begging for more. Yukhei is all too happy to give it to him. Short little kitten licks over his perineum make Mark whimper and shake. Sharp, jabbing thrusts at his entrance make him mewl. When he’s loose enough Yukhei thrusts his tongue in deep, pressing and pressing and pressing until Mark’s hand flies back to grip his hair. 

“Fingers,” Mark begs, hips squirming as he rides Yukhei’s face. “Please, want your fingers s-so bad Yukhei...”

Yukhei keeps his face buried between Mark’s cheeks, searching blindly for the lube. He knocks it (and three of the water bottles and a granola bar) off of the nightstand before finally tearing himself away, growling and leaning over the side of the bed to snatch it back up. “You good to start with two?”

“I fingered myself in the shower this morning,” Mark admits, hiding his face in the pillow. Yukhei doesn’t let himself dwell on that too much. He’ll probably die if he does. “Start with two, but I should be okay.”

Yukhei nods, slicking his fingers and circling them over Mark’s entrance. “You’re so pretty,” he sighs again, a little bit lost in the way Mark’s body eagerly tries to pull him deeper as he works his fingers in. “Pretty” seems to be the only word he can come up with, the only way to describe how delicate and small and fucking lovely Mark looks right now. “You want me so bad, hmm baby?”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Mark manages to pant as Yukhei scissors his fingers. He makes sure Mark can take them easily before adding a third. “I’m not the only one here with a boner.”

“Definitely not,” Yukhei grins. Once Mark can take three fingers he adds a fourth, pressing and curling until—

“Oooh,” Mark sighs, back somehow bowing even lower as Yukhei rubs at his prostate. Yukhei can practically hear the heart emojis in the sound. “Oh my god yeah, right there…”

Yukhei teases the bundle of nerves, trying desperately to ignore the way his cock is hard and leaking between his thighs. It’s so hard to _think_. Mark’s body is ready and waiting for him, eager to be fucked, and his instincts are screaming at him to act on it. The rest of him, though...that small, quiet corner of his mind that still has control of itself, needs this to be as good for Mark as possible. Needs it to be good enough that he wants to do this again in a few months, and a few months after that. Every few months for the rest of their lives.

“You think you’re ready?” he asks, lips brushing lightly over the back of Mark’s thighs. He really, really hopes Mark is ready. He doesn’t think he can hold out much longer.

Thankfully Mark nods, breath hitching in his throat. “Been ready, fuck, come on!”

Things are kind of a blur from there. Yukhei must lube up, because the slide is slick and easy, a smooth press until he’s buried to the hilt. His mind goes a bit fuzzy and when he comes to he’s got Mark on his stomach, Yukhei’s thighs bracketing Mark’s as he thrusts down into him. It feels so fucking _right_. Not just having someone to see him through his rut, but having _Mark_ to see him through it. 

“Yuk-hei,” Mark sobs, gripping the pillow so tight his knuckles have gone white. The bed is creaking in protest with every hard thrust of Yukhei’s hips, and he really fucking hopes the neighbours don’t come knocking on the door. 

Yukhei presses in deep, hips grinding tight against Mark’s ass. “Mark,” he practically sobs, lost in the heat of Mark’s body. He’s never spent a rut with someone before, it’s dizzying how good it feels to have Mark writhing underneath him. “Nnh, feels so, _fuck_, so good…”

“You getting close?” Mark manages to pant, and from the way he’s wiggling his hips Yukhei can tell that he’s rubbing his dick against the sheets. “Come on, knot me Yukhei, want you to come in me…”

Yukhei needs it. He’s aching for it, to spill deep in Mark’s body, lock them tight together. Leaning in, he closes his lips over the side of Mark’s neck and sucks a bruise into his skin. It’s a livid red by the time he’s done, sure to turn a deep purple in no time at all. And it’s not enough. He wants to set his teeth to it, to bite and bite and bite until Mark bears a scar in the shape of Yukhei’s teeth, until all of the world knows—

“D-do you know you’re talking out loud?” Mark hiccups, trying to push up on his knees only to be forced back down by a particularly rough thrust. “Why don’t you-ohfuck-why don’t you give me a really good hickey for now and we’ll talk about a bite later?”

Yukhei doesn’t have the brain cells to spare to figure out what Mark’s talking about, but it’s Mark and Mark comes up with all the best ideas. He nods in response, grabbing him by the hips and yanking him back onto each thrust. He can feels his knot starting to swell, making it harder and harder to pull out each time. “Gonnacomegonnacome…”

“Then come,” Mark breathes, a helpless whisper as he grips tighter at the sheets. “Knot me, _alpha_.

That’s what does him in. With a low moan he presses in deep, body curling over Mark’s as he spills inside of him. With his last shred of consciousness he wraps a hand around Mark’s waist, grabbing his leaking cock and stroking him clumsily until Mark comes as well, shuddering and sighing as he tenses around Yukhei’s knot.

The instinct that demands he protect has him carefully laying them onto their sides, careful of Mark’s come as they find a dry patch on the mattress. He strokes Mark’s hip, kisses his shoulders sweetly, rocks gently to feel the way they’re locked tight together. After a few minutes he shudders as another orgasm grips him, pressing his lips to the back of Mark’s neck as he whines through it.

“You’re doing so good,” Mark whispers, reaching to grab the hand that rests on his hips. He laces their fingers together, squeezing gently. “Love you so fucking much.”

“Love you too,” Yukhei slurs, a bit of the fog in his brain clearing. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Mark laughs softly, shaking his head. “No, it was really fucking good.”

Yukhei finds himself suddenly swept up in a wave of emotion so intense that he has to squeeze his eyes shut, fighting what feels an awful lot like the prickle of tears. “You’re so fucking awesome,” he says, voice thick. “That you would...fuck, that you would do this for me, like, no one has ever helped me with a rut before.” Getting this overwhelmed is so fucking weird, he’s usually pretty good at laughing through his feelings. He feels...vulnerable. Like he’s been cut open and laid out for the world to see.

“Hey, shh,” Mark soothes, thumb stroking over the back of Yukhei’s hand. “Of course I’d want to be with you during your rut. You’re my Yukhei, I want to be there for everything.”

“Yeah,” Yukhei murmurs, because it’s all he can think to say. It must be enough though, because being close to Mark is enough to calm him down, put him at ease.

“How long do you think you’ve got until you need to go again?” Mark asks. He manages to stretch for a bottle of water, passing it over his shoulder. “Here, drink some of this.”

Yukhei does as told, finishing half the bottle in a few hasty gulps. “Probably an hour?” he says, passing the bottle over so Mark can finish it off. “If it goes the same as when I’m alone. Not sure how you being here will affect it, to be honest.”

Mark nods, settling back down. “Cool. Why don’t you take a nap? I’m clearly not going anywhere, we should rest while we can.”

It’s a perfect idea. Yukhei already feels sluggish and sleepy, his body insisting that he rest now that he’s gotten off. The fronts of his thighs press to the back of Mark’s as he curls tighter around them, long arms slipping to hold Mark close. He feels...safe. Not just physically, he’s got that covered himself, but emotionally. As he starts to drift he’s secure in the knowledge that everything is going to be okay, he and Mark are together and things always seem to work out because of it.

“Someday I’m going to wife you up so good,” he murmurs, kissing Mark’s shoulder. 

Mark laughs softly, reaching back to give an affectionate squeeze to Yukhei’s thigh. “Looking forward to it, babe. Go to sleep.”

So Yukhei does. Not a dime to his name and the only family he’s got left laying there in bed with him, Wong Yukhei feels completely at peace as he loses consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO DAMN LONG TO GET OUT. Thanks for being patient, and I hope you enjoyed this smutty, plotless final chapter <333

**Author's Note:**

> This goes out to all my lovelies who chat with me about LuMark and let me nerd out to them through CC <3 Next chapter should be up in a few days!
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/alleywhomst)


End file.
